NCAA Ladies
December 17, 2023
By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com
TAMPA — On match level, as she ready for the doubtless clinching serve, Texas center blocker Asjia O’Neal stated she had one thought.
“I stated to myself, ‘I’m going to get an ace and we’re going to win it proper right here,’ ‘’ O’Neal stated. “Then all of it occurred in entrance of me. I feel I noticed it, then closed my eyes.’’
O’Neal’s resounding ace deflected off the outstretched arms of Nebraska’s Harper Murray, giving the Longhorns a surprising (and stunningly environment friendly) 25-22, 25-14, 25-11 victory in Sunday’s NCAA championship match earlier than a report 19,727 followers at Amalie Area.
After her season-high fifth ace, O’Neal slowly sunk to the bottom, nearly in disbelief, earlier than speeding to hitch her jubilant teammates.
“Like an out-of-body expertise,’’ O’Neal stated.
Your entire season was like that for O’Neal, who stated she was “90-10’’ on leaving faculty to show skilled after the Longhorns had captured the 2022 nationwide title. However the joyous camaraderie of the Longhorn group pulled her again for a sixth season.
And that didn’t end up so effectively at first of this season. The Longhorns (28-4) stumbled to a 5-3 begin earlier than righting the ship. They had been practically eradicated within the area semifinals, going through a fourth-set match level towards Tennessee, earlier than in some way pulling it out in 5.
After that — Increase! Increase! Increase! — it was consecutive victories towards three No. 1 seeds, Stanford, Wisconsin and Nebraska. It’s not typically {that a} defending nationwide champion performs pressure-free whereas being painted as an underdog, however that’s what occurred for O’Neal’s Longhorns.
“There was no strain on us,’’ O’Neal stated. “The strain was on all the opposite groups. We had been in a position to play free. We love one another and help one another at all times. All through the entire yr, it was simply so enjoyable.
“That is most likely essentially the most joyous season I’ve ever had in my life. It was positively difficult at instances. However at this time was an instance. Everybody performed free. Everybody had confidence in each other. And we had been in a position to exit and take down some actually unbelievable groups.’’
O’Neal helped tempo the Texas service sport, which produced a season-high 12 aces.
“That they had a stage of serving we hadn’t seen all yr,’’ Nebraska coach John Prepare dinner stated. “I believed we did a reasonably good job defending her (O’Neal). However what you noticed there, that’s a world participant in her (sixth) yr who performed with the USA group final yr. At that stage, you perceive how onerous you may serve and the way onerous that you must serve. And he or she has carried out that in faculty volleyball. That’s a whole lot of further observe for her. We’ll be taught from that.’’
The match’s pivotal moments occurred within the second set. Trailing 10-7, Elliott known as a trip. Madisen Skinner’s kill, off a set from Ella Swindle, gave the serve again to Texas and O’Neal.
Texas then scored 10 straight factors, punctuating an 11-0 run, on O’Neal’s serve. She had 4 straight aces, working in energy and finesse, discovering the openings, and rendering Nebraska practically helpless.
“She was simply hitting clear balls,’’ Texas coach Jerritt Elliott stated.
O’Neal stated, in her thoughts, she felt the match was clinched proper there.
Prepare dinner, a giant soccer fan, used a cross-sport analogy.
“It’s the fourth quarter and so they’re simply operating the ball,’’ Prepare dinner stated. “You already know they’re going to run it. And you may’t cease them. That’s what it looks like. They simply go down the sector. That’s what Texas did.’’
With O’Neal serving because the power-running tailback who stored transferring the chains.
“I don’t assume I ever had my serve transferring round like that,’’ O’Neal stated. “However my teammates had a whole lot of confidence in me. It goes again to our group tradition. We’ve been actually shut all yr and in a position to play off one another.’’
In the long run, O’Neal gave thanks for her determination to return to Texas.
“I’m actually blessed,’’ O’Neal stated. “I’m so glad I stayed right here and all of us acquired to have a second like this one.’’