Lone Star Showdown: OH Edition

One of the struggles in the last couple of years for Texas Volleyball has been finding consistent production from the second outside hitter. Whether that spot is taken by Jenna Wenaas, Devin Kahahawai, or somebody else, the ability to rely on the OH2 has been a bit of a question mark. And those players have most certainly shown their fair share of flashes, but the question becomes: for three rotations while our top option is in the back row, can Texas depend on someone else to drive the offense and get the job done day in and day out? For the most part, that answer has been no. 

A perfect example of this is the game that ended Texas' season last year in the Regional Semifinals against Creighton. The team looked to Madi Skinner as often as possible, getting set a whopping 62 times and producing 23 kills from those attempts. Meanwhile, Jenna Wenaas was set only 23 times, and only produced 4 kills on a negative clip. On the other side of the net, Ava Martin and Norah Sis had 15 kills each on almost exactly the same number of attempts. This battle between balanced attack and unbalanced attack was the storyline of that match, and a big reason why Creighton was able to win, hitting .307 compared to Texas' .197. Relying on one option an entire match leads to a predictable and stoppable offense, while spreading the ball keeps the blockers guessing and the offense moving.

In fact, this was a major factor for Texas' success throughout the 2022 season. Having both Logan Eggleston and Madi Skinner on the same offense was simply an unstoppable force that opponents couldn't handle. This year, can Texas return to looking more like that 2022 version of themselves? They'll have to do so with a clean slate, having both starting outsides graduate after last season. So let's take a look at the depth chart and evaluate that possibility.

Torrey Stafford - There was a gaping hole in the offense with Madi Skinner graduating, and Torrey is everything Texas could've hoped for to fill it. A First-Team All-American transfer with multiple years of Final Four experience, Torrey is a strong attacker, a consistent passer, and a no-doubt day one OH1 with far more experience than anyone else in this position group. She has aspirations to follow Madi (who has been killing it in LOVB and VNL) to the professional and potentially Olympic level of volleyball. But don't think of Torrey as "the next Madi" - she's here to write her own story of success as the face of Texas Volleyball. Now the question becomes, who can back her up?

Abby Vander Wal - A 6'3" freshman from the Chicago area, Abby comes to the Longhorns looking to contribute immediately, being tied for the #1 overall recruit in the 2025 class. Abby has a unique ability to vary her shot selection in both speed and location to get a result on every swing. She is the ultimate garbage collector, taking out the trash in out-of-system situations with her skill of putting the ball in the deep corner and scoring in uncommon ways. 

Cari Spears - A 6'3" freshman from the Dallas area, Cari also comes to the Longhorns looking to contribute immediately. Because guess what? Cari represents the other half of that tie with Abby for the #1 overall recruit in the 2025 class. However, Cari has a very different playing style from Abby, what separates her above other outsides is her explosiveness and power. Cari has an absolute hammer of an arm, and it's especially evident in some of her back row attacking, where she can make some eye-popping plays that would be sure to get a gym full of Texas fans fired up. 

Kenna Miller - Kenna often flies under the radar despite entering her 4th year as a Texas Longhorn since she hasn't seen much court time throughout her time on the 40 acres. Although Texas fans don't get to see her play often, they shouldn't doubt the reason she's at Texas. Kenna is very talented and has the ability to ride momentum, meaning she can get very hot and get a few kills in quick succession. When the momentum is against her though, that momentum also seems to carry the results. Unfortunately for Kenna, there are three extremely gifted newcomers ahead of her on the depth chart. But I can see her as a potential sparkplug in bad situations, especially with the energy and attitude she brings to fire her teammates up and pull the tide of momentum towards Texas' favor.

Given this depth chart, my guess is that Abby has the slight edge over Cari for the OH2 role at this point in time. The tiebreaker here is her ability to score in uncommon ways, which has been a big focus and point of emphasis for the coaching staff over the spring season. This also goes back to the discussion about needing to be able to rely on your OH2. Can she get the job done in any situation, even when she's not given a perfect in-system look? That answer leans towards Abby. 

But both freshmen are extremely talented and give Jerritt a tough decision looking forward. They have very similar skill level in attacking, but very different attacking styles. This could also come down to ability to serve and pass, arguably the most important phase of the game. Either way, don't expect either of these players to redshirt their first season. Both will likely be called upon at different points in the season to contribute on the court. And beyond this season, these two players ensure the future is looking bright at Texas.