Cougar Volleyball lost to #7 Texas 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Fertitta Center. And while it sucks to lose to the Longhorns, the score doesn’t really matter. The match was more than a sporting event; it was a genuine Houston event with a crowd of over 7,000. Head coach David Rehr and his squad will always be responsible for that happening.
the daily #76 | 10/15/2023 | Archives
Until Saturday, UH VB had been 19-0 at home over the last two seasons. They’d lost just three sets in their last 11 home matches. That is impressive.
With a loud (officially) soldout crowd, the team did not back down from the Mighty Longhorns. UT won the national title last year in dominant fashion and is currently playing at a top-five level. UH lost the first and led in the second set until UT scored four straight to take a 15-13 advantage.
But Houston went on a roll, winning 12 of the next 14 points to win set #2, 25-17. The Coogs had a 22-18 lead in set 3 after winning nine of 11 points midway through. But UT’s net game stepped up, and at 23-21, the Horns ended the match with a 4-0 run, including back-to-back blocks to win it.
After getting so close to taking a 2-1 set lead, only to falter, the Coogs seemed to run out of gas in the 4th set. At 4-4, UT ran off six points in a row and cruised to the match win.
Texas is where UH wants to be, but the gap is closing. After a Sweet 16 appearance last year, the Coogs are ranked this season and pulled off the largest crowd in UH women’s sports history.
They’re comin’.
But it was the event that should be celebrated. UH Volleyball drew a huge crowd on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and delivered an exciting match. More than the score or the opponent, people will remember how much fun they had at a Houston Cougar Volleyball match. And they’ll return, maybe even buy season tickets.
When Rehr was hired 4.5 years ago, he started to build the foundation. He brought in the players. He went on a run in the NCAA Tournament. And twice this year, he’s set attendance records.
Rehr and his staff have built a nationally relevant program at the University of Houston. And they aren’t finished.
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