Fight For The Right: Opposite Battle

With Reagan Rutherford graduating and moving on to a life of professional volleyball in France, the right pin has opened up, how the staff fills her spot might not be a one person fix?  Or it could be trial an error thoughout the season.  With the arms and weapons on this roster, there will always be options and with the "Mad Scientist" in charge of the playbook, don't challenge him to draw some things up for multiple weapons at the pin.  Here are some of the 'Horns options:

Whitney Lauenstein, affectionately known as Big Hit Whit, is looking to make a Juliann Faucette-style comeback to volleyball. She worked her way into a starting role at Nebraska by her sophomore year before stepping away from the sport due to the passing of her father and to focus on her family, which included her new daughter, Layla. She has since made her return to volleyball, transferring to Texas last offseason but has yet to see any significant playing time. Whitney has played at both pins over the course of her career, she's not just confined to the opposite. She's an all-around athlete with smooth and controlled movements, and a long reach. Don't run too far with this comparison, but the way she moves on the court is reminiscent of Madi Skinner.

Devin Kahahawai offers a more powerful alternative. Ever since her freshman year, she's been an immediate impact player always ready for the big moment. Texas has not been afraid to bring Devin into late-set situations when they need a big block or kill. The question is whether she can string those big-impact moments into long-term sustained consistency. The 11 games that Texas ran a 6-2 last season afforded Devin the opportunity to start as the second opposite alongside Reagan Rutherford, and she managed a respectable .280 hitting percentage. In that time, she showed some flashes especially from behind the service line, where her jump serve looked completely unstoppable at times. Like Whitney, she's still looking for her breakout and unfortunately it seems likely only one of them will get that chance.

Addy Gaido is at the opposite end of the age spectrum from these two, entering her freshman year as a Longhorn. Although she did enroll a semester early, so Texas fans have already gotten a chance to see her rep the burnt orange throughout the spring season. At 6'5", Addy stands as the tallest player on the team, and it's the raw physical traits that stand out for her. She offers a high upside with a disruptive blocking presence and the potential to be very terminal when she connects cleanly. She will most likely be taking a redshirt year in her first year at Texas, and will take the time to continue developing her skillset.

As for the competition between Whitney and Devin, those are conversations that the coaches are having constantly. A big piece of that decision will come from how things have changed over the summer, which won't be known until official preseason practice can begin July 31st. The ability for athletes to stay sharp over the long break and retain lessons from the spring is key given the tight turnaround before matches begin. Those matches off the bat are against tough opponents and have potentially huge implications for hosting in December, so it's super important in this sport to be sharp from the jump.

For that reason, the roster that's gonna win matches in August isn't always the same as the roster that's gonna win games in December. So both of these players may get their chances throughout the season, and they will both be craving those opportunities. Barring any surprise rule changes from the NCAA, this is both players' last year of eligibility, though there's a little less clarity about Whitney's eligibility due to her time away from the sport.

And to add another caveat, the competition might not even necessarily be between these two players. Something the coaching staff talks a lot about in recruiting is "volleyball athletes" and attracting versatile players without pigeon-holing them into a specific role, and this is especially true for pin hitters. These three are the ones that have been training as opposites, but that doesn't mean they are confined to that position and the same is true for Torrey, Abby, Cari and Kenna on the outside (for more info about them check out our article on the battle for OH). Jerritt has a decision coming up about whether to defer to seniority and experience, or to give a chance for his elite freshmen to shine.