Double Trouble: Elite in the Back Row

On the main page, VB Adrenaline has started releasing its PPVs (player power values) for college players, extending the idea from recruiting to the NCAA for the first time ever. The first drop of information was about the best liberos in the game for this upcoming season. Whether real or not, there's a perceived power vacuum at the position after several of the college game's best liberos graduated this offseason, including Lexi Rodriguez at Nebraska, Elena Scott at Louisville, Elena Oglivie at Stanford, and Emmy Klika at Pitt. So, who will step in as the new generation of elite liberos? According to this coaches poll, two of the top six are Longhorns.

It's no surprise to see Emma Halter here with a PPV of 251. She started her college career as an apprentice of Zoe Fleck, and has taken complete ownership of the jersey for the two years since then. She has been a rock for Horns on both serve receive and defense, and the consistency of her serve is a big asset as well. But maybe even more important than her playing ability, Emma is an emotional leader of this team and always brings the energy to inspire her teammates around her. I would argue she deserves to be higher than #4, but that's neither here nor there.

Enter Ramsey Gary, and it's not a shock to see her here either, with a PPV of 239. Ramsey has played two seasons in the big 10 at Indiana and she has held up well, so she has proven success against some of the best in the game. But she will get her first shot this season under the bright lights of a national title-contending team. We'll see if Ramsey can even make a push to earn the libero jersey at some point this season, though it will be difficult with the leadership and relationships Emma has built up over the past three years. Ramsey did earn the jersey at Indiana and at the recent U21 Pan-American Cup, so there's no denying her talent and ability to take on that role.

Clearly, there's a lot of hype surrounding these two at the moment. Seeing both of them in the top six solidifies the idea that the back row is a major upgrade from last season and is a major reason this team is capable of winning a national championship. The back row is something that hasn't been a real strength for the Longhorns since 2022, and it's exciting to see the Horns likely return to that level this season.

This back court is only rivaled by one other team in the country, and that's Penn State with Gillian Grimes at #1 and Ava Falduto at #5 on the list. Both players return to defend their national title from last season. Interestingly, no Nebraska littles made the top 6, and I'm sure Nebraska fans will feel like Laney Choboy and Olivia Mauch were snubbed from this list. It's ironic since Nebraska is known for its defense and it has arguably one of the deepest rosters it's had in a long time. I still expect the back row to be good, but its defensive star power doesn't seem to match up to what they've had in the past, according to the coaches poll.