Roberson helps No. 2 Volleyball find balance
Nov. 19, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas -- Amber Roberson has a demeanor that’s so quiet and unassuming, she’s almost apologetic when receiving extra attention. Last week, after she tallied a career-high 12 kills in a home victory against Texas Tech, Roberson was surrounded by young girls seeking autographs as she tried to escape to the Longhorns’ locker room. The attention-rush kept coming, and Roberson kept apologizing to no one in particular. “It’s just awesome to see how much she has come out of her shell since last year as a freshman,” senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker says. “And it’s perfect timing.” Roberson has developed into another go-to option on a team of go-to options. After setting a career-high kill mark during UT’s road victory against Missouri on Nov. 7, Roberson followed up with her stellar effort against Tech, when she also set another career-high with her .500 hitting percentage. Asked what role she plays for the Longhorns offensively, Roberson shrugs and considers for a moment, before offering only, “balance.” Head coach Jerritt Elliott counts on Roberson for much more. “She is very steady,” Elliott says. “She is a very fluid athlete who makes really good decisions. As she continues to grow in her confidence, this team will continue to improve.” Roberson is known among her teammates for her low errors and shot selection. “Even in practice, we can’t dig every shot that she has,” Hooker says. “I want to say that she makes our offense magnificent, because we can now be so diverse on the court. It doesn’t matter what rotation we are in.” Roberson credits her shot selection and expanding game to the fact that she’s simply been listening to the coaching she receives every day in practice and matches. And while Roberson admitted to being nervous in the first major action of her career a few weeks ago, “the nerves are out of the way now.”
With Roberson providing steadiness on the left side, junior Juliann Faucette has seen more opportunities on the right, and recently reached the 1,000-kill plateau for her career. “Amber gives us a whole different look,” Faucette said. “She is an awesome attacker, who just swings at the ball and puts it down.” |
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