9: Straight seasons which Texas has hit 20 wins during the regular season.
14: Straight wins by Texas including a 12-0 conference start which ties head coach Jerritt Elliott’s best conference start at Texas.'
2,379: career assists for Hannah Allison, good for ninth place in Texas history. Allison had 46 assists against Kansas State.
Why Texas won
They’ve learned to play a gritty and close game without letting strong opponent play mentally harm their focus. Sophomore Haley Eckerman said it best: “In the beginning of the season when we were down, everything was all over the place and now … when it comes down to that crunch time, we are doing a lot better and staying focused on one point at a time.”
Stock up:
Molly McCage: McCage exploded over the past few games. Last week she set a career high kill count with 10 against TCU and turned around and did it again with 10 kills against Kansas State. Against the Cats, she logged a .500 hitting average.
Set by set:
Set 1: The Longhorns took early command of set one, jumping to an 11-4 lead. The Wildcats brought it to within five points, but the Longhorns kept a strong lead, winning 25-18 and never trailing in set one.
Set 2: The Wildcats kept the match close, leading for a good portion of the set. Several controversial calls on both sides of the net increased the tensions between the teams, but a 6-2 push by Texas secured the 25-22 win.
Set 3: After the intermission, the score was close through the entire set. At one point, someone even tried to pass to coach Elliott, but he batted it down with a slight smile. The Wildcats led 15-13 midway through the final set, but a surge by Texas prevented any hope for extending to the match to a fourth set, winning the third set, 25-19, to seal the victory.
What's next –
Texas will get a full week of rest before it travels to Lawrence to take on No. 20 Kansas, which is ranked second in the conference. Texas will also be looking to break the record for best conference start under Elliott and hit 13-0 in conference play. With a win, Texas will further its claim for the Big 12 crown. The No. 7 Longhorns face off against Kansas at 6:30 p.m Sunday
Printed on Monday, November 5, 2012 as: McCage steps up in sweep of 'Cats'
