NCAA Volleyball Championship notebook: Dec. 14
Dec. 14, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Texas Volleyball team began its trip to the NCAA Championship in earnest on Tuesday morning, departing Austin Bergstrom at 9 a.m. and landing safely in chilly Missouri a mere two hours later. Temperatures just above freezing, and piles of snow from a recent storm, greeted the Longhorns on arrival. The team is staying in the Country Club Plaza area, just a few miles from the Sprint Center, and had the afternoon to settle in to the hotel and grab some lunch. The Longhorns engaged in a physical and spirited practice at North Kansas City High School in the late afternoon, then went directly to dinner at a local Italian bistro. "We're all excited," senior Jennifer Doris said. "I'm glad we've bought another week's time worth of playing with each other." Homecoming, sort of: Kansas City holds a special meaning to head coach Jerritt Elliott. He was born here. Elliott's father, Mel Elliott, was the head of the local YMCA, and Jerritt was born at Saint Luke's Hospital. The Elliott family moved when Jerritt was just two months old. The 10th-year head coach went on to grow up in Southern California, where his love of volleyball was eventually born. Consistent power: The Longhorns have won their past 19 matches behind an offense that's as powerful as it is reliable. UT is hitting .346 during the stretch and averaging 15.54 kills per-set. Middle blockers Rachael Adams and Jennifer Doris are the best in the country. Adams ranks No. 1 nationally with her .448 hitting percentage, while Doris holds the No. 2 spot with her .435 attack mark.
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