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NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

December 14, 2016

Columbus, Ohio

THE MODERATOR: We'll get started with Texas. Joined by head coach Jerritt Elliott and student-athletes Ebony Nwanebu, Chloe Collins and Micaya White. Coach Elliott is in his 16th season. He led the Longhorns to the 2012 national title. This is his eighth Final Four including his fifth straight. Coach, your thoughts.

COACH ELLIOTT: We're extremely excited to represent the University of Texas and be part of this Final Four. We had a very tough regionals at our place. And we're battle tested and we're excited now to have the opportunity to play Nebraska. And where this sport is going with the fans and the involvement of the sport is really exciting.

I think for us to be able to move to ESPN for the first time, just going on the big stage is really exciting. We want to thank Carol Stiff for helping us make us do that. It's just exciting for our sport and where the sport is heading.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes.

Q. Ebony, can you tell me a little bit about your friendship with Andie Malloy and the first time you remember playing her? I see you laughing already thinking about it.
EBONY NWANEBU: I've known Andie since our awkward pre-teen years, and we ended up going to the same high school together. And she's one of might have best friends. And she was my setter. I don't know, I love her and it's going to be weird seeing her across the net. But I'm excited.

Q. Have you spoken to her this week?
EBONY NWANEBU: I have actually, tweeted her yesterday and she tweeted me back.

Q. Micaya, I asked Kathryn Plummer about this, too, could you tell me about your club and high school experiences that made you ready to come in as a freshman and if you thought you were ready?
MICAYA WHITE: I think I played for a really good club team that really taught, talked a lot of the basics that Texas teaches here.

So I guess transitioning wasn't too hard with just how the game was taught because Jerritt and Mike Michael have taught the same things. So that helped me a lot.

And honestly I feel like there's nothing that really prepares you for how fast the game is in college. Like, when I got here, definitely coming back from an injury, the speed of the game was just, I thought, was out of this world. I think you get used to it.

Q. At what point during the year did you think I'm as good as everybody here and I belong?
MICAYA WHITE: I think it actually took me a while, probably September of this year, because I was still trying to come back and the knee wasn't feeling right, the shin wasn't feeling right. Everything was hurting. But I think around September of this year I just started getting confidence in my game and knowing I could compete at this level.

Q. Ebony or Micaya, all three of you earned AVCA All-American honors today. But for you two coming off your injuries last year, how gratifying is it to be recognized for the seasons you two had this year?
EBONY NWANEBU: I really don't know how to explain the feeling. We both red-shirted and we both got first team. So it's kind of a -- I never thought I'd get back to playing at this level because coming off an injury I was always, I was like, okay, I accepted the fact I would never be like I was my freshman year.

So to be back into that form is a great feeling for me. And I'm really proud of Caya because she had surgery and red-shirted, and she led our team this year, and she got first team as a freshman which is really inspiring to me.

MICAYA WHITE: I think I'm just truly blessed because I never would have thought I would have been here definitely last year. But I had great trainers and a strength coach who got me back to the shape better, way better than what I came in.

And Ebony has been there with me. We were training room buddies. We helped each other out and she's been like an older sister to me. So thank you, Eb.

Q. Coach, John Cook said that first off in the beginning of the year, he was scrapping that game when you guys first played. How much of a different of a team are you guys since then, and did you know maybe at that point that you would get another shot at Nebraska?
COACH ELLIOTT: If I was that kind of prognosticator I would be betting a lot of money, but it's illegal in the NCAA.

For us, at the beginning of the season we tried to play tough competition to kind of learn about our team and see where our strengths and where our weaknesses are for coaches to exploit us in a variety of areas.

And, you know, we weren't very smooth at the beginning of the year. And, but we knew we had the pieces. We knew we had the senior leadership and the buy-in to be able to get back into this point. It wasn't the easiest of years for us, but it's great that we finally started hitting our stride in the last five weeks and playing at a much higher level.

It's a tribute to this team and the work ethic and the commitment to it. And it's a long season for most programs. And the ones that stay committed to the process and believe in the culture and the systems are the ones that usually get back here.

And the ladies up here had a lot to do with that.

Q. What do you remember from the championship match last year at all? Obviously the two schools, Nebraska and Texas, you guys go way back.
COACH ELLIOTT: Yeah, the championship match last year was a remarkable match, I thought. For us to be back in that situation with the injuries to these two. Early on in that season we didn't think we'd be back there.

But, again, the leadership from last year and the team committed to being a part of that and getting back to the Final Four, and playing in that environment on their home floor, you know, what sticks out to me is how we played the first two games.

We played really well. It was a two-point battle each way. Could have swung -- it would have been nice to get game one and see how they responded on their home floor. We left it all on the floor and I had no regrets about it. We were devastated, obviously, that we lost, but when your team battles the way they did, you're proud of them. Now we have another opportunity with a completely different style of volleyball than we had a year ago.

I think we're more forceful. Maybe our ball control hasn't been as good, but in recent weeks it's really improved. I think our defense behind the block has gotten significantly better than our passing. And statistically our numbers are closer to where they were in 2012.

Q. Micaya, going back to when you guys first played Nebraska at the beginning of the year, do you remember much about that game? And now you have 30 games under your belt and in the same spot playing them again. What do you remember from that game? What did you learn and what made you grow after that?
MICAYA WHITE: What I remember from that game is I was very nervous, I was very scared, definitely, because it was my first college game and playing against a really good team.

But I feel like now I have more confidence. Definitely 30 games in I'm more comfortable playing with my team. And so I just think having more confidence, I guess, is what I've grown.

Q. Going back to Micaya and Ebony, last year obviously you couldn't participate in this. What do you guys remember about last year's tournament and what you guys were doing and how much you guys missed being out there?
EBONY NWANEBU: Well, I wanted to play in a Final Four since I started playing volleyball at the age of five. So going to a Final Four and not playing is kind of hard. But I was so proud of my team when we played Minnesota and we beat them. And I've never felt more proud of anyone in my whole life. And then like Jerritt said about Nebraska, we played our best and when you look at what it was 3-0, it says 3-0 but we didn't lose by that much.

So I thought everyone fought really hard and I was really glad to be a part of this team.

MICAYA WHITE: I really don't remember last year.

Q. Chloe, and by the way, don't give Jerritt a hard time about being old I. Covered Randy White while in college. He was pretty good, too. Chloe, you asked about last year's team but I saw you guys that first weekend in Oregon, and this isn't even close to the same team, not just the way you're playing but it's a whole different team. What does it mean to you as a setter to have adapted and changed and made things better as you've changed so many different pieces, even as late as, what, Jerritt, two weeks ago?
CHLOE COLLINS: I think a lot of it has been with our coaching staff, just having confidence and, like, the senior leaders and what we are capable of doing. And just being a setter, just knowing my teammates just more off the court at that point, getting to know them on a different level, the ones I'm not close with, and having that relationship on and off the court has really helped us gel together and just build some confidence and especially trust with each other, to be able to play for each other and have fun out there and just enjoy this game of volleyball that we all love.

Q. Chloe, obviously Texas won the year before you got here, runners up last year. Just for you, of course, a championship is sweet no matter what, but how much would it be for you to get one and go out with that way after you came in the year before they won it and kind of seeing that success and then being able to achieve it yourself?
CHLOE COLLINS: I think it would be just absolutely awesome just knowing -- just being here and having the opportunity to compete is awesome. Every year, you know all girls want to be in this position, I think, and just to go out, have the opportunity to say that is awesome.

I'm so proud of my team and what we accomplished this year. And to go out and win it all would just be amazing.

Q. Chloe, Amber and Kadie were talking earlier about playing with you and kind of growing up with you. What's your memories of them and what do you think about seeing them on the opposite side of the net again?
CHLOE COLLINS: Actually, just similar to Andie and Ebony, I grew up with Kadie and Amber. I texted them earlier this week as well. And we were just more excited about seeing each other like off the court a little bit.

At the end of the day, friendships are still there, whether we're competing against each other or with each other.

But I'm just excited to play against them once again. They're both great players. They both bring something different to their team and contribute in different ways, and so just really excited to go out and play.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach.

Q. Chloe has done a great job with what I asked her about. She didn't get into it, but it's got to be -- I think it's kind of amazing the way she's been able to run the team through all the changes and you've gotten better and better, do you agree?
COACH ELLIOTT: Yeah, we've made a lot of changes with a lot of our pieces, and there's been development in a lot of those pieces.

The middle's -- being the majority of the growth in terms of what we can do from an offensive standpoint. So she's had to really work on her game, be adaptable to what we've been doing and stay positive in terms of leading this group.

And she's done a phenomenal job. I thought last weekend was her best weekend that she's had all season long. And really proud of her what she's done for this program.

Q. How has the team looked mentality-wise this week? Are they loose? Are they nervous? How are they feeling going into tomorrow night?
COACH ELLIOTT: You always have a perception of what the team is. I think they're really loose right now. I think they're excited.

The fact we get to play Nebraska, who we play every year, is always an exciting battle for us. I think they'll be just as excited to play us. And it's more just the wait to get here and go through -- the day routines are so much different for the Final Four because of all the media and the banquets and all the things that we've got to be organized for, it's a little bit different.

So our key is just trying to get them relaxed, get them in the right mindset, get them to understand the film and what we're trying to do as a staff and get them ready to battle.

And we were good yesterday. We'll see -- we've got an hour and a half here to practice today, which isn't long, to get comfortable in the gym. And we'll spend a lot of that time serving and passing and getting organized with what we want to do.

Q. Going back to what I asked Micaya and Ebony, seeing them get All-American honors this season. For you, what does that mean to you knowing exactly what they had to go through last year and coming back and getting healthy?
COACH ELLIOTT: I think what people don't see is the stress, the different types of temperament they have to go through, or different types of moods they go through this, and my staff did a great job with them.

We spent many hours talking to them because they get emotional. It's very easy for this generation to lose touch with feeling a part.

So when you're in the training room, you're not training, you know, you're not feel like you're contributing, you feel like you're an outsider. And I thought our captains last year did a good job with them. But they never see the light at the end of the tunnel. College-aged athletes are always living day to day.

So you're constantly trying to remind them about the future and what they're doing is the right path. And then when they get back into it, now they get to look back and see, oh, my goodness that was the most valuable life lesson they could have gone through, seeing everything we went through, and how we dealt with it, excuse me, and then really committing themselves.

They worked really hard when people weren't watching, Caya will be the first one in Monday morning when there's no lifting and go do some extra cardio to get herself ready for these kind of weekends.

It's a tribute to the type of women that we recruit and their work ethic and their drive. And to see it pay off for them is exciting.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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