Freshman pitcher Hannah Wells pitches during the game versus Abilene Christian University on Thursday, Feb. 12.
In Texas beach volleyball’s second full season, Longhorns head coach Stein Metzger has built a roster with a unique combination of up-and-coming talent, veteran leadership and international experience.
The overwhelming abundance of talent on the squad makes it exceedingly difficult for the coaching staff to decide who will play.
“Everyone is aspiring to get on the court, so it does make it a little difficult when we have this much talent,” Metzger said in a Feb. 5 interview with The Daily Texan. “There will be people that don’t get a shot to play that would be starting for just about any other program.”
After three seasons, this is the first year Texas was able to recruit an incoming freshman class. With all the resources at the Longhorns’ disposal and the team’s distinguished coaching staff, it was not difficult for the staff to lure talented recruits despite being a newer program on the scene.
“I would say the biggest reason that I was taking that gamble was definitely Stein, Angie (Akers) and Will (Buchanan),” freshman Savannah Thomas told the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation on Feb. 3. “The coaches are amazing.”
While the step to college is a pinnacle moment for American freshman recruits, the same can’t be said for some of Texas’ players from across the pond.
The Longhorns have six players from European countries who entered the program with years of international and club experience already under their belts.
“If you’re an American in high school, you’re looking up to college like this is the biggest stage,” Metzger said. “If you’re an international (athlete), the biggest stage for them is to go to the Olympics. So they think of it as an awesome opportunity to go and have an experience and develop to reach their end goal.”
These athletes bring their own unique cultures and play styles to Texas, creating a roster full of diversity.
“Every international player and federation has their different style of play, so it’s been great for us, from a training perspective, to get exposed to different styles of playing,” redshirt senior Katie Hashman told the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. “It’s made us a lot better as a team, and I think it’s made us, in a weird way, closer.”
While it’s often a challenge for players from different backgrounds to come together, there is hope of reaching a common goal. The new roster dynamics on display for Texas create an environment that blends experience levels and fields a team capable of making a big-time statement.