Texas opens 2004 with Orange and White Scrimmage
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas volleyball team opened its 2004 season with an Orange and White Scrimmage on Saturday, August 28, and while the Orange and White teams came away with a 1-1 draw, the real winners were the fans.
Prior to the scrimmage more than 250 local children attended a clinic held on the floor of Gregory Gym at which the Longhorns taught the basics of serving, setting and hitting. After the one-hour clinic, the participants were led on a tour of the Horns’ locker room and team facilities in Gregory. The special attention was not lost on the children in attendance, all of whom posed for a giant group picture with the UT team in the stands.
But after the clinic, it was down to the fun. Head coach Jerritt Elliott split his squad into two groups and opened the play. And while the lineups for each team weren’t set in stone and players freely crossed under the net, great volleyball was still to be had with the various player combinations on each side of the court.
In the first game, the White team walked away with the 16-10 win behind three kills from sophomore Brandy Magee (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and two each from sophomore Dariam Acevedo (Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico) and senior Bethany Howden (Austin, Texas). All the players spent time on each side for both teams, and in total, Magee had six kills in the game. The White team had a .571 hitting percentage for the stanza, while connecting for three blocks, as well.
In the second game, with the lineups switched again, the Orange side took the game - 25-20 - behind nine kills from Howden, whom also added four for the White side. White dominated at the net, though, as the Horns combined for four blocks to Oranges’ zero.
“This was a fun day,” Elliott said. “I was pleased with the play of the freshmen because they didn’t come out nervous or tentative. I thought Alyson (Jennings) and Sarah (Holloway) played well in the back row and made some great impressions. Having depth on the outside was also nice, and Lauren (Galler) made a positive impression to our fans with her play.
“We just can’t wait to get our season started next week. Our players are anxious to get on the court Friday and take on someone other than themselves, and I think this week of practice will really show that,” Elliott continued.
For the match, Howden led the way with 16 kills, while sophomore Lauren Galler (Austin, Texas) and Magee each added seven apiece. Sophomore Jenny Andrew (Kingwood, Texas) had four blocks and Howden added three. Andrew also added 20 assists, while freshman Michelle Moriarty (Houston, Texas) had 15.
After the match, the Longhorns sighed autographs for the fans in attendance while the players also met the Gregory faithful and supporters.
Texas officially opens the 2004 season on Friday, Sept. 3, when the team travels to Dallas to participate in SMU’s tournament. The Horns open the tournament against the host Mustangs at 6 p.m., before taking on Cal Poly (11 a.m.) and Northern Arizona (5 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 4. After traveling to Houston to face the Cougars on Tuesday, Sept. 7 (7:30 p.m.), UT hosts the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 10-11, at Gregory Gym to kick off its home slate, welcoming Louisiana Tech, LSU and Liberty to Austin.
