The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
03.24.2021 | Forty Acres Insider
Important news happening in and around Texas Athletics compiled by Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. [<a href="http://texassports.com/archives.aspx?path=forty_acres_insider">Forty Acres Insider archives</a>]
Longhorn Nation,
What a glorious day it was on Tuesday morning as I had the pleasure of strolling the sidelines of Campbell-Williams Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and taking in the inaugural spring practice of the Coach Sark era. It was bright and early with a fall-type crispness to the air as our hard-working student-athletes hustled from station to station with that patented Texas passion and pride on full display. Our coaches were teaching, training and preparing them for the drills, practices, scrimmages and games of the season ahead, all under the watchful eye of our fantastic new leader with all gas and no brakes. And with our truly spectacular south endzone project that is coming together so beautifully as a backdrop, I couldn't help but envision the packed house, the scoreboard flashing and you all cheering loudly on the magnificent Saturdays that we all are anticipating this coming football season.
But no need to get ahead of ourselves because we do have so much going on right now as another one of our rights of spring — the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays week — is upon us. It will look a little different this year without the always exciting high school division, but it promises to be three sensational days of track & field at Mike A. Myers Stadium nonetheless. It's also another week where so many of our teams that missed out on last year's post-season and championship competitions are getting their opportunity this spring. Coach Schaefer and Women's Basketball is coming off a dominant 81-62 victory over Bradley in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament and is preparing to face No. 9 UCLA on Wednesday night (8 p.m. CT/ESPN2) for a spot in the Sweet 16. Coach Capitani and our Women's Swimming & Diving team brought home some hardware from the NCAA Championships with a third-place finish — our best team finish since 2001! And next up is Eddie Reese and our No. 1-ranked Men's Swimming & Diving squad that was among the favorites to win the title before the season was cancelled last year and enters this year's NCAA Championship meet having won four of the last five National Championships and 14 total national titles in our Legendary Longhorn's incomparable coaching career. Go get 'em Yoda!
We also saw Coach Pierce and our No. 9 Baseball team claim a 2-1 series victory to open Big 12 play at Baylor, then follow that with a 10-1 win over UIW on Tuesday. Now they head into a Red River Showdown series with Oklahoma at UFCU Disch-Falk Field this weekend having won nine of their last 10 games. Coach Murphy and No. 24 Women's Golf has been en fuego as well. Fueled by a record-setting team round of -16 last Friday, our Horns finished second at the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, just one week after more record-setting efforts in winning the Wildcat Invitational there. On the heels of its decisive team victory against a tremendous field at our George Hannon Collegiate earlier in the week, Coach Fields and No. 12 Men's Golf traveled to Tucson and capped a terrific week with a third-place finish at the National Invitational Tournament last weekend. Coach White and No. 10 Softball continued their impressive season with a 5-1 record last week to move to 20-3 on the season. Meanwhile, Coach Joffe and No. 2 Women's Tennis registered a pair of convincing Big 12 wins over Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, and Coach Berque and the No. 7 Men held off No. 15 Arizona in a 4-3 thriller, all at the Texas Tennis Center last weekend. Tennis fans across the nation took in those matches as our partners at LHN carried all the action live.
With the thrill of victory, we also experienced the agony of defeat last week. Saturday's Men's Basketball game was a heartbreaker as Coach Smart and our No. 9 Longhorns were stunned in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Abilene Christian. It was a tough night all the way around as our Longhorns just couldn't find a groove, made far too many turnovers, and in the end came up one-point short, 53-52. Watching from Indy, it was just gut-wrenching seeing such a wonderful group of student-athletes experiencing such a disappointing end to a season that included so much success, like the Maui Invitational title (played in Asheville, N.C. due to the pandemic, of course), our first-ever Big 12 Tourney Championship, a No. 9 final ranking in the AP Poll and a 19-8 overall record. It was not how any of us wanted it to end and was so abruptly and truly devastating for us all, but like all competitors and those of us in athletics do, we must pick ourselves up off the mat, dust off and get back to work.
After winning their first 20 matches of the season, Coach Elliott and our No. 2-ranked Volleyball team will look to bounce back after a tough loss on Tuesday after losing two sets by just two points each in falling to Rice in a five-setter at the Erwin Center. Our Horns will get right back at it, traveling to No. 6 Baylor for a bigtime matchup on Friday in Waco. You can catch that one at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ as they hit the stretch run of regular season in preparation for NCAA Tournament which begins April 14 in Omaha.
It's a really busy time on the Forty Acres and we're so proud of all of our teams, the way they put in the work and give their all for the Burnt Orange and White. We take such great pride in celebrating the wins, rebounding from tough challenges, and most importantly, appreciating all of your support as you remain right by our side. You know you are the wind beneath our wings, and we will need every bit of your spirit and Texas Fight as we continue to forge ahead with so many sports and so much promise on the horizon. The pride and winning tradition of the Texas Longhorns will not be entrusted to the weak nor the timid. Let's keep those Horns Up!
Stay safe, be healthy and Hook 'em Horns,
Chris Del Conte
P.S. – Celebrating Women's History Month. Thanks for all you do and your powerful message Coach Johnson!
P.S. II – Nice to meet you Sergio! Thanks for stopping by!!
HEADLINES
Women's Basketball preview: vs. No. 9 UCLA on Wednesday night
The Longhorns face off with third-seeded UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday.
VIDEO: Schaefer, Chevalier media availability
The Women's Basketball head coach and freshman point guard met with media on Tuesday.
VIDEO: Collier's Special Bond
For Women's Basketball junior Charli Collier, basketball is a passion that played out for years in the family driveway.
Collier named Second Team AP All-American
The junior forward/center is the 13th All-American in program history, and first since 2018.
VIDEO: Steve Sarkisian Previews Spring Drills
The Football head coach met with media via teleconference on Monday.
No. 9 Baseball blasts UIW, 10-1
The Longhorns hit a pair of homers and cruised to a big win over the UIW Cardinals.
League-high 11 Longhorns named to Academic All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Team
Nine UT players earn first-team honors.
No. 1 Men's Swimming and Diving preview: NCAA Championships
The Longhorns attempt to capture their 15th NCAA team title in Greensboro, N.C. on March 24-27.
No. 10/11 Softball sweeps Saturday doubleheader from New Mexico
Junior pitcher Ariana Adams fired her first career no-hitter in the 12-0 (5 inn.) DH-opening victory.
No. 2 Women's Tennis sweeps No. 32 Oklahoma, 7-0
The Longhorns improve to 4-0 in Big 12 play and record their eighth win against a ranked opponent this season.
No. 12 Men's Golf places third at N.I.T.
The Longhorns charged up the leaderboard Sunday to earn a top-three finish in Arizona.
Former Men's Golf Standouts Return to Austin for WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
Longhorn greats Dylan Frittelli, Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth will compete in this week's event.
Track and Field's Davis named USATF Athlete of the Week
Tara Davis won her first NCAA title last weekend in the long jump behind a collegiate-record effort of 6.93m/22-9.
Final competitors announced for 93rd Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays
Athletes from across the country are headed to Austin and Mike A. Myers Stadium next week.
No. 7 Men's Tennis bests No. 15 Arizona, 4-3
The Longhorns came out on top in a hard-fought thriller that saw all six singles contests go to three sets.
No. 24 Women's Golf finishes runner-up at Mountain View Collegiate
The Longhorns finished second at 18-under par as a team this week.
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