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Post by eyeroll2021 on Dec 18, 2023 8:44:04 GMT -5
During the season, when Texas had off nights, sometimes the team on the other side of the net punished them for it and sometimes not. Whether Texas squeaked by or escaped with a win was probably a product of both Texas “hanging in there long enough to prevail” and the opponent failing to end it when they had a chance to do so. What I found impressive about Texas was, in the end, against three solid programs, they finished the job. When they got Wisconsin and Nebraska to the ground, they kicked them again and again until it was over. It’s not the fault of Texas that Nebraska or Wisconsin didn’t have an answer for tough serving (if that’s what you think was the difference), it’s the fault of Nebraska and Wisconsin. It’s not there fault of Texas that Tennessee had their libero go down … it took them five but, ultimately, Texas was able to get the job finished. As for consistency, I personally would rather watch my team peak at a championship and win it, rather than play great pretty much all year and then trip over the mat while trying to step through the front door. Why does any season culminate with a championship tournament or event? Because that’s how we measure programs that are both efficient and clutch. The tournament is not the measure of how good your entire season was but it’s a massive part of that season. If you asked most supporters of most teams, they would probably prefer the season Texas had over theirs. Regular season is enjoyable, entertaining and a night out. Playoffs and championships however, are where I want my team to perform their best …. A la Texas this year. NGL I would have preferred the regular season Nebraska had over the one we had as Texas fans. It was a lot of drama and uncertainty. BUT. Adversity teaches grace under pressure in the biggest moments. And that's what we saw from the Longhorns during this tournament. Even when we fans were tearing our hair out - that first set with A&M, the Tennessee match - the team never lost confidence. Both Wisconsin and Nebraska had wonderful, wildly successful seasons. But they were not prepared mentally for being so far behind in a match and - I don't think there's any other word for it - panicked.
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Post by horns1 on Dec 18, 2023 8:44:23 GMT -5
Okay geeky historians. Is the sports court in Tampa the same design (blue border) as what was used in Omaha in 2020 (Spring 2021) and 2022? I think Skinner loves that court design . . . Skinner does love that court design!
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Post by slxpress on Dec 18, 2023 9:04:32 GMT -5
I’ll take the worst regular season that ends in a championship over the best season that ends in second place every time, and so would every sports fan ever.
However, the experiences we have as a fan over the course of the season still matter to us. When a season gives me a special joy I find ways to reconcile that with not winning it all. I hope all of you do that. What a miserable existence as a sports fan I’d have if I couldn’t find joy in a season unless my team won it all. I spent half my life watching all my teams come up short - sometimes in heartbreaking fashion (other than Texas baseball) - until the Houston Rockets won back to back in the 90s while Michael Jordan was taking a sabbatical.
I know the end of the season is a bitter pill to swallow for many non Texas fans because your team came up short in one way or another. I know Texas fans can be insufferable in many ways - me included. But I truly wish for all the fans on volleytalk to find their own sort of joy about their team. Be excited about their successes, hopeful about the future, and if anyone wants to hope Texas somehow implodes next year, I don’t blame you.
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Post by sunsuphornsup on Dec 18, 2023 9:06:52 GMT -5
During the season, when Texas had off nights, sometimes the team on the other side of the net punished them for it and sometimes not. Whether Texas squeaked by or escaped with a win was probably a product of both Texas “hanging in there long enough to prevail” and the opponent failing to end it when they had a chance to do so. What I found impressive about Texas was, in the end, against three solid programs, they finished the job. When they got Wisconsin and Nebraska to the ground, they kicked them again and again until it was over. It’s not the fault of Texas that Nebraska or Wisconsin didn’t have an answer for tough serving (if that’s what you think was the difference), it’s the fault of Nebraska and Wisconsin. It’s not there fault of Texas that Tennessee had their libero go down … it took them five but, ultimately, Texas was able to get the job finished. As for consistency, I personally would rather watch my team peak at a championship and win it, rather than play great pretty much all year and then trip over the mat while trying to step through the front door. Why does any season culminate with a championship tournament or event? Because that’s how we measure programs that are both efficient and clutch. The tournament is not the measure of how good your entire season was but it’s a massive part of that season. If you asked most supporters of most teams, they would probably prefer the season Texas had over theirs. Regular season is enjoyable, entertaining and a night out. Playoffs and championships however, are where I want my team to perform their best …. A la Texas this year. NGL I would have preferred the regular season Nebraska had over the one we had as Texas fans. It was a lot of drama and uncertainty. BUT. Adversity teaches grace under pressure in the biggest moments. And that's what we saw from the Longhorns during this tournament. Even when we fans were tearing our hair out - that first set with A&M, the Tennessee match - the team never lost confidence. Both Wisconsin and Nebraska had wonderful, wildly successful seasons. But they were not prepared mentally for being so far behind in a match and - I don't think there's any other word for it - panicked. Grace under pressure was the difference in yesterday’s match.
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Post by basil on Dec 18, 2023 9:10:26 GMT -5
yall saw those on-2 beach shots from Texas several times? no accident
revenge for when Nebraska beat us 3-2 on the beach earlier in the spring was served (literally)
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Post by slxpress on Dec 18, 2023 9:22:08 GMT -5
NGL I would have preferred the regular season Nebraska had over the one we had as Texas fans. It was a lot of drama and uncertainty. BUT. Adversity teaches grace under pressure in the biggest moments. And that's what we saw from the Longhorns during this tournament. Even when we fans were tearing our hair out - that first set with A&M, the Tennessee match - the team never lost confidence. Both Wisconsin and Nebraska had wonderful, wildly successful seasons. But they were not prepared mentally for being so far behind in a match and - I don't think there's any other word for it - panicked. Grace under pressure was the difference in yesterday’s match. I remember getting walloped in the Tennessee-Texas match thread before it started because I placed a value on Texas having so much experience as a program, staff, and the players, and how that might be the difference. I don’t know if it was. Like I also said in the thread, those things are determined afterwards in declarative tones as if we knew what the outcome would be all along. I had no idea what the outcome would be in any of the Longhorns’ last 4 matches. I hoped for the best. But the players never wavered. They always knew they’d win regardless of the circumstances. And part of the reason they knew they’d win is that was the program’s experience, specifically the previous year. Stanford, Wisconsin, and Nebraska all had doubt creep into their minds over the course of their respective matches. You could see it in their body language. And yes, the Texas serves were extremely tough. But like Halter said, passing is so much about the mental side. Once that comfidence cracks, it’s hard to get it back. That’s why you see teams cheering each other on after mistakes are made. They’re trying to lift each other up and restore that lost confidence. It’s just that in this case it never happened.
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Post by maigrey on Dec 18, 2023 9:45:40 GMT -5
Grace under pressure was the difference in yesterday’s match. I remember getting walloped in the Tennessee-Texas match thread before it started because I placed a value on Texas having so much experience as a program, staff, and the players, and how that might be the difference. I don’t know if it was. Like I also said in the thread, those things are determined afterwards in declarative tones as if we knew what the outcome would be all along. I had no idea what the outcome would be in any of the Longhorns’ last 4 matches. I hoped for the best. But the players never wavered. They always knew they’d win regardless of the circumstances. And part of the reason they knew they’d win is that was the program’s experience, specifically the previous year. Stanford, Wisconsin, and Nebraska all had doubt creep into their minds over the course of their respective matches. You could see it in their body language. And yes, the Texas serves were extremely tough. But like Halter said, passing is so much about the mental side. Once that comfidence cracks, it’s hard to get it back. That’s why you see teams cheering each other on after mistakes are made. They’re trying to lift each other up and restore that lost confidence. It’s just that in this case it never happened. One thing I think we may be discounting, but I don't think any coach is discounting, is the fact that you don't win any tournament ever without some luck on your side. That goes for pro sports, that goes for poker, that goes for anything with a tournament format. There's the luck of the draw / seeding, there's the luck of having players healthy and not injured, there's the luck of being able to get through whatever happens in the middle of the match that is unexpected. That's why we actually play the games, versus just assigning a winner at the end of the season. I don't think Elliott is discounting at all the fact that they had some luck with Tennessee, and that fired them up and gave them the confidence to roll through the rest of the tournament. That doesn't mean that Texas wasn't the best team in the last three games, they certainly were. But to discount luck entirely is a smidge arrogant. When I say this if Wisconsin had won? Absolutely. If Asjia or Madi or Swindle or Halter had an off night would I say that they panicked? Probably not (I'm human, so there's a chance I would have, but I don't think so). If Izzy or MJ or GG served a 10-0 run, I know I wouldn't have said that it was all because our serves were amazing. With a float serve you can certainly hope/expect that the ball is going to drop out of nowhere, but due to chaos theory you don't know when that is going to happen. Is it going to happen so it drops right at their feet? That's luck. Is it the major factor in winning? No. Is it an important one? I think so.
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Post by eyeroll2021 on Dec 18, 2023 9:51:09 GMT -5
Named team captain and present at B1G media days this summer, but not in the post-match presser . . . Teams do not choose who attends press conference. Who does? Tournament sponsors or press?
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Post by uofaGRAD on Dec 18, 2023 9:59:31 GMT -5
PASSING GRADES ARE OUT!!
Halter: 2.25 (12 attempts) Wenaas: 1.64 (11) Barnes: 2.29 (7) Akana: 2.36 (7) Skinner: 2.25 (4)
Murray: 1.52 (26) Rodriguez: 2.00 (12) Batenhorst: 1.46 (11) Choboy: 1.70 (10) Beason: 0.50 (4)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2023 10:00:20 GMT -5
PASSING GRADES ARE OUT!! Halter: 2.25 (12 attempts) Wenaas: 1.64 (11) Barnes: 2.29 (7) Akana: 2.36 (7) Skinner: 2.25 (4) Murray: 1.52 (26) Rodriguez: 2.00 (12) Batenhorst: 1.46 (11) Choboy: 1.70 (10) Beason: 0.50 (4) Harper I-
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2023 10:00:39 GMT -5
PASSING GRADES ARE OUT!! Halter: 2.25 (12 attempts) Wenaas: 1.64 (11) Barnes: 2.29 (7) Akana: 2.36 (7) Skinner: 2.25 (4) Murray: 1.52 (26) Rodriguez: 2.00 (12) Batenhorst: 1.46 (11) Choboy: 1.70 (10) Beason: 0.50 (4) what does that make Nebraskas team grade. Could it be worse than the dreaded Texas 1.46 vs Nebraska in the tournament in 21
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Post by basil on Dec 18, 2023 10:01:26 GMT -5
This makes 2021 me very happy
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Post by lance09 on Dec 18, 2023 10:01:41 GMT -5
your players shouldn't have had to be at the post match press conference, either. Of course they should. They’ve been in 50 press conferences celebrating how great they are, this is the other side of that coin. It sucks, but do it with the same dignity and grace you e done all year. Totally agree. What's sad, is that if the roles were reversed, and if the Texas players behaved that way, the current "sympathizers" would be dragging Texas players across the VT platform. There would be new posts, pics, memes, videos, quotes and the like, to illustrate arrogance, what it looks like to be a sore loser.
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Post by lance09 on Dec 18, 2023 10:02:41 GMT -5
I’d say if your a coach at a top team and you are not actively trying to better your team with the portal you are hurting your team and not doing your job. I also guess Cook forgot that perhaps his best player transferred in this year. We need Texas' social media team to address this stat!
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Post by bounce22 on Dec 18, 2023 10:03:00 GMT -5
A lot of you guys know what goes on in some of these gyms … does ANYONE take receive reps overhand in the women’s game? Was waiting for someone at Wisconsin or Nebraska to make stack adjustments and move forward to force Texas to serve differently for a point or two; or to at least give a different look. Nobody did that it seemed although I have yet to watch both matches in their entirety so maybe they did. It’s not the answer long term I don’t think but, when a team is on a significant scoring run mostly due to serving, why wouldn’t you be trying something at that point? Obviously you need to practice that so I’m asking (no paragraphs again)
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