The EXPERIENCE Begins and Is The Most SELECT

The EXPERIENCE Begins for the Most Select

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The most select camp of them all started up on Tuesday night in Austin. 18 of the top prospects in all of volleyball walked on to the 40 acres to participate in the 2 1/2 day Texas Experience Camp.

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Most schools have gone to the 1 day events due to time crunch and very condensed schedules, both by athletes and coaching staffs, the Horns take a completely different approach with the Experience. “The best part of our staff is our teaching” said assistant coach David Hunt “so we want them here for a bit if they are going to make the commitment to come, we want them to experience our teaching and that happens over a couple of sessions. They get much more of a feel for what being a part of the program is like when they are in a smaller close setting for a couple of days with all of us.” Guess that’s why it’s the Experience because the prospects truly feel what it’s like to be a part of the group for a period of time.

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Though I don’t know the “Official 18” I do know there are athletes from the Classes of 26-29

So I’m guessing the 2026s would be the three 2026 verbals

The 2027s are going to be the narrowed down 2027s they are extremely high on, which I have spoke multiple times on at Texas is always a very small list and this time a year is probably 4-5 athletes. My GUESS would be: Willtrace, Camille Presley, Ella Olson, Tessa Larkin and maybe one more OH (possibly Ireland Real)?

Then I’d guess 4-5 of the top 2028s which will include some of the top at each position: My guess is going to be: Josalyn Samuels, Sarah Floyd and Megan Hodges 

Finally I know there were going to be 1-2 2029s as well, I would assume that would be 1-2 of the breakout Outsides in that class, but that seems like decades a way still.

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The camp consists of instruction time, campus tours, meetings and information about the program and just getting familiar with the program and the people that make up UT Volleyball. Texas Volleyball 101 if you will. Though some attendees won’t be able to stay the entire camp, a good share of them will and that is odd in today’s era of on the go athletes and jam packed schedules.

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The camp has been a huge success and a final stamp on sealing the deal with top prospects since it’s inception three years ago. Yes it followed Nebraska’s idea of the Dream Team Camp and matches their time frame as well. The difference seems that this is more subdued and “tucked away” than the Dream Team which is much more publicized and also caters much more to the underclassmen than this years class.

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The other thing I think the Experience camp shows all prospects is that is brings 4-years worth of age groups together to play in a gym for a couple of days. Exactly like a program will bring 18 athletes of 4-classes into a program to play together for a year. So it is somewhat of a natural setting. For the athletes they get to be around Austin and the UT vibe for a minute. For some that has to be a whole new world and taking it all in is something. They get to experience a couple minutes of “the culture” that gets talked about over and over and be around the roster and talk with them interact and ask real questions.

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I’ve made a few comments about this possibly being a small class for the ‘Horns so that makes this Experience Camp important for a few reasons. The staff needs to be sure of the decisions they make on the ‘27s they offer and that will make the ’28 class an important one as it would appear to be a big one again for Texas.