Every Wednesday UT head coach Chris Petrucelli will respond to at least five fan questions submitted to TexasSports.com.
Name: Greg
Hometown: Durham, N.C.
Question: What would have to be the greatest moment in your UT coaching career?
Petrucelli: "I would have to say that the greatest moment in my UT coaching career would be having Kelly Wilson win the NCAA Top VIII Award following her senior season."
Name: Jack
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Question: It seems that Texas signs one of the top recruiting classes each year. With that in mind, why haven't the Horns turned the corner on the national scene? What do you need from the high school coaches in Texas to accomplish this?
Petrucelli: "To start, we feel that we have turned the corner on a national level. We have won a Big 12 Championship, advanced to the Round of 16 last year, are consistently in the NCAA Tournament and are competing with the best teams in the country every season. It's because we have had such great support from the high school and club coaches in the state of Texas that we have been able to reach these goals and continue to build our program."
Name: Joan
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Question: Have you enjoyed living and working in Texas?
Petrucelli: "Yes. It's been the best move I have ever made. I plan on working and living in Texas for the rest of my life."
Name: Lizz
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Questions: What has been your main focus in practice this week in preparation for Iowa State and Nebraska?
Petrucelli: "We have been focused on dealing with balls served into our penalty area. Both teams are very direct in the way that they play. We are going to have to be very solid in the air and consistently clear balls from our area."
Name: Mary
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Questions: What do you expect to be the team's biggest challenges during the last few weeks of the regular season?
Petrucelli: "Being both mentally and physically prepared to play every match. Every game is important at this time of year and we can't afford to have a bad day down the stretch."
Name: Thomas
Hometown: Round Rock, Texas
Questions: Do you feel like the team's dynamics are different when they play on the road as compared to when they are at home?
Petrucelli: "I wouldn't consider the team dynamics to be an issue. It's just harder to play on the road because your opponent is so much more comfortable at home. We try to keep a consistent game day routine throughout the year, so that during our away games, we follow the same routine that we do at home."
Name: Kim
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Questions: Do you have a usual routine for daily practices or is each day very different from the next?
Petrucelli: "We try to change what we do in practice as often as possible to keep the players sharp. That being said, in every training session, we try to do some finishing exercises, some tactical applications that may be useful for a coming game, and always include some scrimmaging."
