I waited until after today's match to post my current thoughts on the current status of the Maverick volleyball team. UNT was one match, which they lost 3-1. I wasn't happy, because it seems they have the same issue, they aren't able to maintain composure throughout the whole match.
But today's opener in the Baylor Classic against Mississippi State followed the same script. It was enough for me to feel this team is what we saw on Tuesday and will see most of the season. They will do fine against low-level competition, which is an improvement over last year, but will fall just short against the mid-level. Miss. St. only won four matches last year, but they are a bit better, and certainly aren't at the level of a Southwestern Athletic Conference school and with today's win are already at three for the year.
But, we used to measure our program's success in conference championships and NCAA appearances. Now it is, we did okay against the last place SEC team that is improving.
In the last two matches, the Mavs started hot, are able to match the opponent and win the first set. Then, they can't maintain it, drop the next two by sizable margins, then can't keep the focus by just enough to lose the fourth set and the match.
This will give me great consternation to say, but I think clearly UTA needs a coaching change. The reason I don't like saying that is because Coach Seymour was an assistant when I was a student broadcaster giving play-by-play of the volleyball team. Look at the UTA Volleyball Wikipedia page and compare her stats to every other coach. Something to consider, not only is she the only Maverick Coach with a losing career record, we are in the longest stretch between 20-win seasons in program history, currently at six, and what I have seen this year will be seven.
Through five games, I feel I can adequately say, this will be a 12-15 win team. The good news is that we will beat several SBC teams. The bad, we are no where near the top-level teams of the conference.
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