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Sept. 2, 2010

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Florida A&M post-match interviews

AUSTIN, Texas -- The second-ranked Texas Volleyball team recorded a UT rally-scoring era record for blocks in three-set match as it swept past Florida A&M, Thursday night at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational. Texas registered 20 total blocks in the 25-18, 25-18, 25-10 victory and the Longhorns improved to 4-0 on the season, while the Rattlers dropped to 0-4 overall.

The Horns' mega-sized block total was the most they had posted since recording 20 in four sets against California on Sept. 3, 2009. Senior middle blocker Jennifer Doris headlined the Horns' joyous ode to blocking with seven total blocks, while sophomore opposite hitter Sha'Dare McNeal tallied six and junior middle blocker Rachael Adams and freshman setter Hannah Allison posted five apiece. On a slow offensive night, senior All-America outside hitter Juliann Faucette highlighted the Texas offense with eight kills on 22 swings and a .318 attack mark

In the first, Texas trailed in the early going before a solo and a kill by Faucette paced a 4-0 run and put the Horns in front, 10-8. The Longhorns maintained their lead throughout and ballooned the lead to 20-14 behind a 6-2 run capped by an Adams/Allison block. Texas kept the heat on late and a kill from McNeal closed the door 25-18.

The Longhorns were slow out of the gate in the second frame until a kill and a solo block by McNeal on consecutive points gave UT a 12-9 advantage. Texas added a 5-0 run later in the frame to take an 18-14 edge and pushed the margin to 23-16 on a solo block by Allison. Doris recorded a solo to force set point and a FAMU attack error ended the set, 25-18.

Texas came out of the gate hot in the third stanza, taking advantage of a 5-0 run fueled by three Doris block assists that put UT ahead, 9-4. Adams had an `unreal-world' performance the rest of the way recording five of her six kills in the set and pacing a 9-1 run with three kills to put UT in front 20-7. Adams added two kills and a solo block down the stretch as part of a 5-2 run that lifted the Horns to a 25-10 set victory.

Texas returns to action at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational on Friday, Sept. 3 against No. 5 Illinois. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.

POST-MATCH NOTES
• Texas' win against Florida A&M improved the Longhorns all-time record against the Rattlers to 2-0.
• The Longhorns' victory extended Texas' home winning streak to 25 matches, which ties for the second-longest streak all-time at UT.
• UT totaled 20 team blocks in the win to set a Texas rally-scoring era record for most blocks in a three-set match.
• Texas' victory over FAMU was the 999th in the history of the volleyball program.
• Sha'Dare McNeal's five block assists and six total blocks both set new career-bests for the sophomore opposite hitter.
• Freshman Sarah Palmer and junior Michelle Kocher saw their first action of the 2010 season during the second set.

POST-MATCH QUOTES
Head coach Jerritt Elliott
General statement: We are happy with the results. Looking at the positives, I thought our blocking was really strong and in game three, I thought our commitment to controlling the ball was a lot better. Our serving was more crisp and our patterns were better therefore we were able to get much better rhythm going. We put more pressure on Florida A&M than we did in the first two games.

On the team's height advantage in blocking: It's a key component.  Blocking has a huge correlation to winning volleyball matches and if you are blocking three balls a game, you're going to win a lot of games.  We were averaging over six blocks per-game tonight. It really made a difference.  Florida A&M had more kills than us through two sets so even though our offense was struggling our defense on the blocking side was very successful. I thought they responded very well to the conversation we had in the locker room between the second and third sets and as a result we came out strong in the third. 

Senior outside hitter Juliann Faucette
On recovering from a slow start: When you recognize that it's a slow start and the other team is coming at us pretty hard running offense at us, we just talk about it and make sure that each player is stepping up. We can't just come in here and relax, especially against a team like Florida A&M.  They are really good. They have a lot of foreign players who have been experienced volleyball players that come in here and are ready to play.  If we're not then we definitely have to step it up. 

On their size advantage over Florida A&M: Especially with our practice gym, we're seeing ourselves hitting high so that's what we are doing and we have to adjust.  Especially when you're playing scrappy shorter teams that hit lower to the tape and their getting kills that way. We have to adjust quickly because we aren't used to that.