TAMPA, Fla. — In 2009, on the same field here, Texas women’s volleyball lost one of its most heartbreaking games, and longtime coach Gerrit Elliott still calls it its most heartbreaking loss. On Sunday, in the first NCAA volleyball championship game televised on ABC, the Longhorns and Elliott replaced that bad memory with a much happier one.
The Longhorns were multiple national champions, accomplishing something no team in NCAA women’s volleyball history had ever done: winning back-to-back titles by sweep. The second-seeded Longhorns accomplished the feat by defeating three top-seeded schools in a row: Stanford University in the regional finals, the University of Wisconsin in the national semifinals, and the University of Nebraska in the finals. On Sunday, the Longhorns won 25-22, 25-14, 25-11. Last year, they defeated Louisville in the title game.
Last season, Texas remained the best team in the country all the way to the championship match. This year, Texas, where freshman setter Ella Swindle was learning the ropes, faced some more challenges early on, including a season-opening loss to Long Beach State on Aug. 25.
But by Sunday, there was no question who was the best team, and once again it was the Longhorns. Beyond the setter, Texas had some key experienced players, including fifth-year Assia O’Neal, who hit her fifth ace of the afternoon on match point to start Texas’ celebration. .
Madisen Skinner, who led Kentucky to its first SEC volleyball title in the 2020 volleyball championships that were postponed due to the coronavirus, has won the previous two championships after transferring to Texas and is in her third NCAA overall. won the title. She had 18 kills in the semifinals against Pittsburgh and 16 kills in the final against Nebraska and was named Most Valuable Player of the championship. Skinner, O’Neal and Swindle were each on the all-tournament team.
A record crowd of 19,727 at Amalie Arena watched as the Longhorns gave the Cornhuskers no chance to fight back and Texas took over with some impressive serving in the second set. O’Neal served 10 straight points during an 11-0 run in the second set that was the turning point in a close first set.
The Longhorns won their fourth NCAA title and fifth national championship, including one in the AIAW era. This is their last year in the Big 12. He will move to the SEC next season.
Amalie Arena took on a different name in 2009, but is the same building that hosted that year’s volleyball championship. Texas took a 2-0 lead over defending champion Penn State, which was having the best run in volleyball history.
However, Texas was unable to close out the title and suffered a come-from-behind loss. This year was the senior year of Destiny Hooker, one of the greatest stars in Texas history, who had 34 kills in the finals and was the most outstanding player at the championship despite the loss. Penn State finished the season 38-0 for the second year in a row, and Elliott accepted the loss until he won his first title with the Longhorns in 2012.
But on Sunday, Texas never relinquished the lead, finishing the season with a 28-4 record and making Tampa a place that Elliott and Longhorns fans now remember more fondly than usual.