What a Season

While I wanted this up sooner, this will likely be my last post about the 2024 UT Arlington volleyball team this year. The fact it comes in December is remarkable and a long time coming. A season to remember has finally ended in the 2024 NCAA volleyball tournament.

After completing an amazing run in the Western Athletic Conference tournament that culminated in an instant classic in the championship match between UTA and GCU, UTA took its WAC championship title to the NCAA Tournament Selection committee for an automatic berth.

Coming into Selection Sunday, UTA had a 29-2 record and a 43 RPI ranking. I have no memory of a higher ranking for either category. The Mavs won 26 in 2002 when I was a student broadcaster. There were 25 wins in 2006 and 2014. Ironically, both those teams lost in the tournament to the eventual champion, meaning a 26th win in either season would have been against the eventual winner. Also of note, both those years, the eventual tourney champ won a match in the NCAA tourney. Since the turn of the century, UTA's conference has won a match in the NCAA tourney three times. Two of those times were in 2006 and 2014. Undoubtedly, UTA played a role in getting those teams a favorable seed.

The Mavericks were sent down to Austin as the equivalent of the third seed like in what would occur in the baseball and softball tournaments. If it was similar to the basketball tournament, it would have been an 11 seed.

The UT Austin Longhorns were seeded third in their 16-team section of the bracket. There are four main sections in the bracket with 16 teams each. and only the top eight teams are seeded within the region. The University of Southern California was also sent to Austin as a six seed and that would be UTA's opponent.

As for 2024, the committee did not look kindly on UTA's 29 wins. None were against top 100 teams. They faced only one other tournament teams, a loss in a sweep to Texas Christian University. Southern Methodist University had one of their best, if not best, season in history and hosted three other teams. The selection committee gave them a two seed. Missouri was sent to Dallas as a seven seed. 

The tournament is not officially seeded after eight, but is generally when one looks at the RPI rankings. Though, like many other things, it is not the only metric. At an RPI of 54, and 11 spots worse than UTA, Texas State was also sent to Dallas to play the seventh seed. The Bobcats had a lower RPI rating and were closer to Austin than Dallas. That usually means the Committee had TXST higher than UTA. Texas State in multiple sports have a long history with UT-Austin. The short distance between Austin and San Marcos likely had zero influence in the decision.

On Thursday, December 5th, 2024, exactly 22 years to the date, the Mavericks broke the program-long drought for NCAA tourney appearances. On the surface, the three-set loss to Southern California looks like a typical P4 versus non-P4 matchup. But other than a second set rocking, the Mavericks held their own. 

They lost the first set in extra points, 26-24. After trailing 8-1 early, UTA chipped away, using a 9-4 run to get within one. The teams traded points until UTA claimed a 20-19 and a 21-20 lead. We saw it a bit at the end of the regular season and in the conference tournament, but the Trojans went on a 3-0 run after the Mavs got to 20. The Mavs tied it at 23 and later 24, but USC got the last two points for the set win.

In the second set, USC had runs of 6-0, 4-0, 4-0. 4-0 and 3-0 en route to a 25-7 win. UTA never scored two points in a row. In the old school scoring system, UTA would have been shut out.

UTA was able to shake it off in the third set. Just like the other two sets, the Trojans cruised to an early lead, 10-3 and 12-4. Like they have done a lot in the later part of the season, the Mavs clawed back. Similar to the first set, they battled back. Down 13-5, a 9-1 run tied the match at 14. After a Trojan point, UTA took the lead at 16-15. After a brief Trojan run for USC to regain the lead, UTA trimmed the deficit to one, 21-20. The Trojans sandwiched the lone remaining Maverick point around identical 2-0 runs to claim the match, ending UTA's season at an outstanding 29-3 record.

In the NCAA match, UTA was led by graduate senior outside hitter Brianna Ford, of course, who had 14 kills. Graduate student outside hitter Cansu Gunaydin had nine digs. Graduate senior setter Mollie Blank tallied 28 assists. Ford and redshirt sophomore Sophie Ocampo had three blocks apiece. Blank tallied the lone ace for the Mavs.

After the match, Ford and graduate student middle blocker Paige Reagor were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region first team. It's the first time since 2014 a UTA player landed on the first team. Prior to that, you have to go back to 1989's Final Four team for an all-region first teamer. Speaking of 1989, that is also the last time two Mavericks appeared on the first team in the same year.

I'd like to hope UTA can build upon this season, but this was a team built on experience and will lose a lot of players. Four total Mavericks started all 32 matches this year, all of them are graduate students. In the transfer portal era, it is hard to tell who will return. There are a core group of ladies that have been fun to watch who will have eligibility. I hope they suit up in a Mav uniform next year to build upon what was established this year.

It has been a very fun ride this year. With UTA's history in the sport, it was the season Maverick fans have been waiting for in the last couple of decades. The reality is that the last few seasons were building to this. Many memories were made this year and much like the dominance UTA showed when I was a student, they likely will stick with me. Unlike then, those memories will carry over with my family.

Thank you 2024 UTA volleyball! It was a great season for us fans.