Texas faces tall task when it battles the tallest in Wisconsin

By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com

TAMPA — The Texas Longhorns have battled expectations, a 5-3 start to the season and staring their demise squarely in the face while overcoming a match point in the region semifinals.

For the defending national champions, it has been one challenge after another.

Now for a really sizable task.

How can the Longhorns cope with the front line of Wisconsin, which includes junior Anna Smrek (at 6-foot-9 the tallest player in the college game) and Carter Booth (6-7)?

For Texas to stand tall in Thursday night’s NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship national semifinals at Amalie Arena, it must find a way to avoid getting stuffed at the net. Easier said than done.

When the Longhorns (26-4) challenge the Badgers (30-3), it’s a question of whether their speed and athleticism can overcome the Wisconsin Wall. Many have tried. Few have succeeded.

“I think we have a super competitive gym,’’ Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. “We see big blocks in our gym all the time. Obviously, Wisconsin is really big. We have super dynamic athletes. We have our own physicality. We have our own speed.

“It’s part of the fun matchup, always trying to figure out the puzzle of how to beat teams. Some teams are super fast. Some teams are a little bit bigger. It’s the component that we’ll have to figure out. I think they (Texas players) have a little chip on their shoulder to go out and find a way to make that happen.’’

It would be folly to paint Texas as a severely mismatched opponent, though. The Longhorns also are one of the nation’s top blocking teams, so action at the net could be riveting.

“Obviously, she (Smrek) is a lot bigger than I am, a lot taller,’’ said middle blocker Asjia O’Neal (6-foot-3). “Their whole entire team, they’re a large block. But we have a really large block in our practice gym every single day. And I think just how dynamic all of our players are to find ways around that.

“They aren’t going to get frustrated. It will be really fun to see because these are two really good defensive blocking teams.’’

Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield described O’Neal as “one of the best blockers in the world,’’ saying the Badgers must be wary of her competitiveness and experience.

“Texas is going to play the way they want to play,’’ Sheffield said.

But it’s…