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SL Xpress

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Everything posted by SL Xpress

  1. It was hilarious watching Stafford crush the ball on the bic in the third set. Having that as a weapon but never really unleashing it because you have Spears on the court at the same time is kinda funny to me. If there's a match against a top team like Kentucky where Texas is going off with the D-ball with Spears and the bic with Stafford I'm going to laugh my ass off.
  2. Nebraska is loaded with talent and experience. They haven't lost a match. They crushed Stanford, who we took to 5 sets (we swept Creighton, who Nebraska took to 5 sets, so I'm not saying that's definitive). I don't have an issue with Nebraska being #1. The critical part is getting into that top 4. Texas has done an amazing job putting themselves in a position where they're going to have to have almost something of a collapse in tournament play not to earn one of those. Whether it's the top overall seed or the #2 overall seed is of lesser importance. You're in the bracket with either the 8th best team or the 7th best team, and in most years both of those teams are going to be pretty good. The most dangerous opponent if you're a regional host is one of these top programs that falters a bit during the season but then puts it all together come tournament time, like Nebraska when they beat us in the regionals in Gregory a few years back, or us two years ago when we went on that absurd run beating the other #1 seeds Stanford, Wisconsin, Nebraska back to back to back. I hear people talk about parity, but from my vantage point there's a huge talent discrepancy between the very top teams, and then the top 25 types outside of the first 8. It will be very difficult for an opponent to match up with Texas unless they have a whole lot of size, good scoring, and decent backcourt defense. That's only a handful of programs.
  3. She was a first team All American. I knew she was outstanding. I didn't expect her to be THIS outstanding. I'd even argue her role has been diminished somewhat because of Spears' dominance.
  4. They're really firing on all cylinders. Embarrassing the best in state volleyball programs. Rice/TCU/Baylor.
  5. The SEC hasn't been a great volleyball conference. For years it was Florida and that's about it. Kentucky came on when Craig Skinner was hired. But over the years the Big 12 had Nebraska, then after they left Kansas was a Final Four team, and then of course Baylor with Pressley. The Pac 12 was traditionally the volleyball power. Then the Big 10 took over the mantle. Even now I'd say the ACC is the better conference, at least at the top. But it sure appears like the SEC is putting resources into volleyball. At this point it's light years better than the Big 12 is.
  6. This has been an unusually loaded nonconference slate. I don't know if this is germane or not, but Texas tends to play fewer matches overall than any other program in the country. Elliott's primary focus is on navigating RPI to give his squad the best chance of finishing in the top 4 and being a regional host. There's no other program that does a better job of scheduling for RPI purposes. In fact, he was known to talk to other coaches in the Big 12 to try to help them get higher RPI numbers, too. I'm willing to bet he's doing some of the same things in the SEC, but he's not going to have the same communication level with the other SEC coaches early on. Some of these teams really need confidence boosting wins more than they need to risk losing against better competition every match. For the bigger programs like Kentucky and Florida, they like getting in more home matches, too.
  7. Well, there's no O'Neal type in the middle. Also, both of those national championship teams were unreal from the service line during tournament time. Because of Stafford, this team is better with back row defense. But as good as Halter/Gary are, and they're outstanding, are they that much better than Fleck/Halter, or come tournament time, Halter/Barnes was pretty salty, too (Barnes seemed to take a while to get acclimated during the regular season). It's still early in the season. What I will say is that the last two years the team started off slow. And then last year they never really got it going. Spears is just so otherworldly on the right side and the back row. But the national championship team with Eggleston/Skinner was pretty loaded. Remember, they only lost the one match against Iowa State all year. I also really liked Ka'aha'aina-Torres as a setter. They had Parra on the bench. I'll also say the 2021 team that made the national championship match was really loaded, too. Nonetheless, this team is sure fun to watch. It's been a really impressive early season run, no question. I feel like that's a conversation better left for after the season. Without question, though, this team looks a heck of a lot better in the early going than the last couple of years.
  8. Do you go to many of the matches? I think it's such a fun sport.
  9. I understand people get fixated on the rankings, and why not? That what they're there for. To generate conversation. I find I don't care as long as Texas is one of the top 4 seeds. It's crazy to me we've gone two years having to travel somewhere else for the regional. That's practically a Sahara level drought for us. If we go undefeated through non conference - which looks good at the moment - we'd have to lose more than 2 SEC matches not including the tournament to miss out. That's huge. Then it's a matter of who gets on a roll in the tournament. Nebraska went to 5 sets against both Kentucky and Creighton, but they absolutely waxed Stanford. Texas got wins by the skin of their teeth versus both Stanford and Louisville, but in doing so showed all kinds of resilience and never say die attitude. Texas has had the more impressive early slate, but Nebraska's schedule hasn't exactly been a collection of creampuffs. Right now they definitely look like the two best teams. Penn State's Izzy Starck bailing out really puts the Nittany Lions in a bad bind. We'll see how the season progresses. I don't have any issue with Nebraska being #1 right now. They've beaten everyone they've played. They have a lot of talent, and they're experienced. Texas is extraordinarily young. We're in the same kind of position Nebraska was a couple of years ago. We have an amazing back court. A 6 rotation OH who is better at defense than any OH I can recall at Texas. We're getting unreal production from the right pin. We have a late set double sub that's been very effective. I like our middle blockers, but we all know how spoiled we've been at the middle blocker position. I'd say that's a place where we might not match up as well against the best of the best. But having Harvey come in for Bunton has seriously elevated the team. I think Harvey is playing better than Ames right now, to be honest. She even hit a nice kill down the line from the right side. Not a real slide. We had Spears in the middle the way we do sometimes, and Harvey on the right. But it was still a right side kill. The serving was giving TCU all kinds of issues, as Elliott alluded to. I'm excited to see what this team can become. I fully expect them to earn a regional host. It's been a fair bit. I'll be glad to see the regional return to Austin, if they can get it.
  10. That is exactly my feeling. She had two ups in that third set back to back that led to kills she just handled routinely.
  11. ASU didn't have two of their best players. They also sent that 2nd set into overtime. TCU got embarrassed in the first set, but even the next two sets haven't been particularly close. Late in these sets Texas has crushed them.
  12. I feel like the opponent needs some height to match up with Texas. TCU still out blocking Texas, but not getting as many touches as other opponents. Louisville in particular. Of course, they got plenty of blocks, too.
  13. I guess I don't understand. Does Torey Stafford have a sister that plays/played for Texas? I definitely saw the ring finger going back. Don't understand how that wasn't a good challenge.
  14. If both players didn't go to Texas, then the Skinner sisters have to be way up there. Petersens and Cabellos don't have anyone of Torey Stafford's stature, but they're doing pretty good for themselves as well. That's just recently. Also, Eggleston's sister started at Cincinnati.
  15. I want to do terrible things to the people in the Hellraisers section doing the frog hand sign downwards.
  16. For those who didn't see it, Whitney Lauenstein, the transfer from Nebraska, before the season last year, got in the match late in the 3rd set with it pretty much out of reach.
  17. The one that I keep thinking about is Rick Ankiel.
  18. Sam is such a grind to listen to. Who was it talking about how unusual it is for Texas to have an uptempo set to the outside pin? I was reading the CC feed instead of listening at the time.
  19. It hit her forearm. No question. The ball changed trajectory after hitting her forearm.
  20. Harvey blocks! Harvey kills! Harvey serves (pretty nice serve actually)! What Harvey doesn't do is set. No bueno there, Harvey, lol.
  21. When is the last time we had 3 freshmen starters? Do you know off the top of your head, Js1?
  22. These long rallies are chef's kiss. Texas takes the lead 20-19. I love this sport so much. I'm grateful to have a team that's fun to watch again. No offense to last year's squad.
  23. I think it's going to pose a real problem for Elliott with this double sub to pull Spears off the court when we get late into the season and into tournament time. She's a monster. I like keeping Binney and Kahahawai invested, and Kahahawai has given everything to this program. But Spears is really really special. It's not like she came out of nowhere, but I had heard she had issues with her shot selection and that maybe Vander Wal was the real steal of the class. I don't know. I like both of them. But Spears has been super impressive in the early going. Like Royal says, if they're going to bite, they're going to bite as a pup. Holy moley. Harvey on that hit to tie it up at 18 apiece. All 3 of these freshmen look stunning at times.
  24. I'm unconvinced we're sacrificing with the block with her in there.
  25. I really like this Arizona State coach. I'm curious if another bigger program with more resources doesn't snap him up.
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