25 minutes ago, HookemTexas said:

Swindle has reached Melanie Parra status - fan favorite that doesn't get the playing time the fans want to see. She gets a huge pop when she enters a match.

The difference is there wasn't a real place for Parra and we won a national championship with her on the bench in back to back years.

Texas won a national championship with Swindle as the setter, brought in someone to replace her. The team had one of the worst seasons they've had in 20+ years, with obvious chemistry issues. They bring her back as the starter. The team earns a #1 seed as a regional host, loses 4 times the entire year, including in the Elite Eight. Elliott once again decides to go in a different direction. The team has its worst start in Elliott's tenure. They're currently battling to earn a subregional host. It all depends on how they do in the tournament, but the longest Sweet 16 streak in college volleyball is at legitimate risk right now.

I don't think anyone who watches her thinks Swindle is the best setter around, but her teams figure out how to win. There were several inspiring come from behind victories both her freshman season and her junior season with her as the starter. She is always the most fiery player on the court. She's not a liability in the front row the way Carlson was or both Binney and Harris are. All offseason I thought it was a major mistake to go to the 6-2, and the season's results have borne that out. There's no telling if the outcome would have been different if Swindle had remained the starter the entire time, but there's certainly a correlation between her being the starter, her being replaced as the starter, and on court results.

As far as Parra is concerned, Elliott really shouldn't recruit undersized pins. He doesn't play them. He's too much of a wizard at bringing in outstanding pins from high school and the portal who happen to be 6-2 and above. Victoria Pilar was another one who went on to do amazing things after transferring to Arkansas. Parra was a legitimate All American who ended up at the one place in the country where there were better options ahead of her. She was way better off at TCU.

3 hours ago, SL Xpress said:

The difference is there wasn't a real place for Parra and we won a national championship with her on the bench in back to back years.

Texas won a national championship with Swindle as the setter, brought in someone to replace her. The team had one of the worst seasons they've had in 20+ years, with obvious chemistry issues. They bring her back as the starter. The team earns a #1 seed as a regional host, loses 4 times the entire year, including in the Elite Eight. Elliott once again decides to go in a different direction. The team has its worst start in Elliott's tenure. They're currently battling to earn a subregional host. It all depends on how they do in the tournament, but the longest Sweet 16 streak in college volleyball is at legitimate risk right now.

I don't think anyone who watches her thinks Swindle is the best setter around, but her teams figure out how to win. There were several inspiring come from behind victories both her freshman season and her junior season with her as the starter. She is always the most fiery player on the court. She's not a liability in the front row the way Carlson was or both Binney and Harris are. All offseason I thought it was a major mistake to go to the 6-2, and the season's results have borne that out. There's no telling if the outcome would have been different if Swindle had remained the starter the entire time, but there's certainly a correlation between her being the starter, her being replaced as the starter, and on court results.

As far as Parra is concerned, Elliott really shouldn't recruit undersized pins. He doesn't play them. He's too much of a wizard at bringing in outstanding pins from high school and the portal who happen to be 6-2 and above. Victoria Pilar was another one who went on to do amazing things after transferring to Arkansas. Parra was a legitimate All American who ended up at the one place in the country where there were better options ahead of her. She was way better off at TCU.

I fully agree that the management of Swindle has been botched imo. She’s a winner and has proven it as you noted.

The issue I have is with Elliot’s hypocrisy when it comes to size and effectiveness. He won’t play undersized pins because they have a lower block, but will play undersized setters all day long - Collins Gabriel, Carlson, Binney …

Yet refused to play Parra who was elite as an attacker, above average as a defender, decent enough with the block, and above average to elite with her serve.

Only reason I can guess at is that Melanie was recruited fairly young and he probably thought she would grow taller than she settled out to be by the time she made it to campus.

Anyway my point was that the fans love Swindle. She’s handled her situation with as much class as anyone could ask for. No drama at all.

42 minutes ago, HookemTexas said:

I fully agree that the management of Swindle has been botched imo. She’s a winner and has proven it as you noted.

The issue I have is with Elliot’s hypocrisy when it comes to size and effectiveness. He won’t play undersized pins because they have a lower block, but will play undersized setters all day long - Collins Gabriel, Carlson, Binney …

Yet refused to play Parra who was elite as an attacker, above average as a defender, decent enough with the block, and above average to elite with her serve.

Only reason I can guess at is that Melanie was recruited fairly young and he probably thought she would grow taller than she settled out to be by the time she made it to campus.

Anyway my point was that the fans love Swindle. She’s handled her situation with as much class as anyone could ask for. No drama at all.

I actually think he's allergic to playing undersized setters in the front row after the loss to Kentucky in the national championship match. We could not get out of the rotations with Gabriel in the front row to save our lives.

Also, Collins, Gabriel, and Binney are absolutely undersized. Carlson is, too, but not to the degree those other three are. Both Gabriel and Binney were basically preferred walkons out of Hawaii. Harris is about 5'10. Not super tall, but not 5'6 to 5'7 the way those other 3 are. And Ainu'u is about 5'11 as well. He has brought in Shook, Cabello, and Swindle. He just hasn't liked them as actual setters.

With pins, you never see Texas with undersized pins. I guess Wenaas was about 6'1. She's about the shortest we've had since Amy Neal, although that's off the top of my head. My gosh, we have giraffes on this roster at this point, with another one coming in next year in Real.

5 hours ago, HookemTexas said:

Swindle has reached Melanie Parra status - fan favorite that doesn't get the playing time the fans want to see. She gets a huge pop when she enters a match.

As she should

5 hours ago, SL Xpress said:

The difference is there wasn't a real place for Parra and we won a national championship with her on the bench in back to back years.

Texas won a national championship with Swindle as the setter, brought in someone to replace her. The team had one of the worst seasons they've had in 20+ years, with obvious chemistry issues. They bring her back as the starter. The team earns a #1 seed as a regional host, loses 4 times the entire year, including in the Elite Eight. Elliott once again decides to go in a different direction. The team has its worst start in Elliott's tenure. They're currently battling to earn a subregional host. It all depends on how they do in the tournament, but the longest Sweet 16 streak in college volleyball is at legitimate risk right now.

I don't think anyone who watches her thinks Swindle is the best setter around, but her teams figure out how to win. There were several inspiring come from behind victories both her freshman season and her junior season with her as the starter. She is always the most fiery player on the court. She's not a liability in the front row the way Carlson was or both Binney and Harris are. All offseason I thought it was a major mistake to go to the 6-2, and the season's results have borne that out. There's no telling if the outcome would have been different if Swindle had remained the starter the entire time, but there's certainly a correlation between her being the starter, her being replaced as the starter, and on court results.

As far as Parra is concerned, Elliott really shouldn't recruit undersized pins. He doesn't play them. He's too much of a wizard at bringing in outstanding pins from high school and the portal who happen to be 6-2 and above. Victoria Pilar was another one who went on to do amazing things after transferring to Arkansas. Parra was a legitimate All American who ended up at the one place in the country where there were better options ahead of her. She was way better off at TCU.

Parra was a better option than Wenaas. Not trying to take a shot at Wenaas, but it is evident based on their play that Parra was the more effective outside at the end of their careers.

Jerritt, for whatever reason, did not give Parra that chance.