No. 1 Volleyball vs No. 3 Wisconsin — Game Thread — Texas WINS 3-1

[Blake Munroe]

Nationally televised broadcast today on FOX beginning at 11:30. 

[Blake Munroe]

[Adam Lane]

Goodness!  Texas plays SEVEN of the preseason top twenty this year.  That is a salty schedule for sure.

[Blake Munroe]

 

[Blake Munroe]

2 hours ago, Adam Lane said:

Goodness!  Texas plays SEVEN of the preseason top twenty this year.  That is a salty schedule for sure.

Definitely taking the Mike White/Vic Schaefer approach!

[Blake Munroe]

[bierce]

Offense off kilter right now.  Poor ratio of hard swings to dinks so far.

[bierce]

Swindle just caught Wiscy defense off guard with a dump, followed by a POY sort of smash from the backrow by Skinner.  13-11 UW

[bierce]

Wenaas with strong cross court.  13-12

[bierce]

Ace by Skinner.  13-13.

UW strong side smash off block falls in.  14-13 UW

Same hitter blocked by Singletary.  14-14

Halter ace 15-14 Texas.  Timeout UW.

Nice run.

[Blake Munroe]

Fox for some reason giving that point to Wisconsin but definitely not the case. As Bierce said, 15-14 Texas. 

[bierce]

Wenaas off block.  16-14 Texas.  UW line shot wide.  17-14.  UW second timeout.  8-1 Texas run.

[bierce]

A little different rotation than was the peak rotation last year.  We spent most of year with Skinner, O'Neal, and Phillips on the front line when Halter was serving, and we would run of 5 or 6 points on her serve regularly.

RIght now we have Swinder, Wenaas, and Ames on the front line with Halter serving.  Skinner hitting from the back row.

Edited September 1, 2024 by bierce
spelling

[bierce]

Wisconsin kill followed by  Ames getting blocked in the midde and Wenaas not clearing the tape.  17-17

Edited September 1, 2024 by bierce

[bierce]

Kind of an odd rotation to not have either Rutherford or Skinner on the front line.  Skinner is a hell of a back row weapon, but I have to think she, Rutherford, and Singletary will be our best front row weapons.

But Ames just ended UW's run with a strong hit off block on the slide.  UW came back with a kill.  19-18 UW

[bierce]

Ames hit from middle went wide.  20-18

Wenaas weak side went out.  21-18.  Texas's second timeout.

[bierce]

UW returns Wenaas's hit into the net.  21-19.

Wenaas serve long.  22-19.

Rutherford had to dink, UW could only free ball back.  Rutherford gets kill on next swing.  22-20.

SKinner with kill.  22-21. 

Texas saved one by going nearly into the stands, but UW got kill after Texas freeball.  23-21.

Rutherford kill.  23-22.  I love havinng a lefthander on that side.

[bierce]

Halter with an NCAA tournament quality dig, but Texas passed ball over, and UW got the kill anyway.  24-22.

SKinner dink blocked out of bounds.  One set point survived.

UW in net.  24-24.  It was egregious.  But setting Wenaas against Smrek might not be good odds for us. 

[Blake Munroe]

Skinner with a rare mistake but Texas battles back. 25-25. 

[Blake Munroe]

If you’re not watching, you’re missing out. This is like two heavyweight juggernauts going blow for blow. 

[bierce]

Skinner served into net.  25-24 UW

Singletary with a laser shot on the slide.  25 all

UW hits long.  26-25 Texas.

Same UW hitter goes crosscourt and in.  26 all.

SKinner with a nuke from back row.  27-26 Texas.

UW off block out of bounds.  27 all.

[bierce]

Challenge by Texas.  Ball did not hit floor as Rutherford got back of hand under it.  Call overturned.  Still 27 all.

[Blake Munroe]

Whoever running the scoring graphic for Fox needs to be done for the day. 

[bierce]

Wenaas with weak side cross court kill.  28-27 Texas.

Long rally end with Wenaas blocked from back row.  28 all

UW  serve error.  29-28 Texas.

UW freeball turned into Skinner crosscourt kill for the set.

We overcame 3 UW set points to win that set after a shaky start.

 

[Blake Munroe]

Texas takes sets 1!