 "Photo: Shelley Neuman; The Daily Texan")
Texas senior Lauren Paolini is redefining the term flawless as it relates to volleyball and is likely to redefine many Texas records in the process.
In the fast-paced action of Big 12 volleyball, it is not a small feat to record an error-free match while playing on the frontline. But to register six in just an 11 match span was practically unheard of – until this season, as Paolini did just that in the first half of conference play this year.
“It’s very rare,” said head coach Jerritt Elliott. “She’s making good decisions. She’s extremely efficient, and it poses some major matchup issues for opponents.”
And the middle blocker has not showed any signs of slowing down from there. She has committed just 15 attack errors in 16 conference matches so far, and her .518 hitting percentage in those conference contests leads the Big 12.
Paolini showed signs of brilliance last season, setting a school record with a .419 hitting percentage and leading the team with 130 blocks on her way to being named All-Big 12 First Team and American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Third Team. She was able to reach those impressive numbers despite being forced to move from her usual position in the middle to the right side for a short stretch during the season due to injuries.
“I know coming back last year I had played a lot of beach volleyball in the summer, which I hadn’t really done before,” Paolini said “And I just noticed a huge change with knowing where to be on the court and seeing different things. My whole volleyball IQ really clicked last year, and I have just been able to build on it this year.”
Paolini also gained invaluable experience this spring when she was invited to play on the U.S. Women’s National Training Team. As a member of the team, Paolini competed internationally in Team USA’s Tour of China and helped the U.S. to a fifth-place finish at the Pan American Cup in Mexico.
“I think a lot comes with experience,” she said. “And the experience I got this past spring when I played with the national team [was very helpful]. Just that competitive practice and all that time spent on hitting, I think a lot of that helped with just knowing what to do and learning different things.”
That experience, and simply having another year of NCAA competition under her belt, has given Paolini the confidence and knowledge to raise her game to a level that few others have reached before her.
Her .465 hitting percentage this season ranks fourth in the nation and is top among players in the conference. If she is able to continue at this pace for the remaining four conference matches, she will shatter her own school record from last year and will be close to the Big 12 record of .473 set by Tracy Stalls of Nebraska in 2007.
But Paolini is the first to deflect any attention on her statistical achievements to the team as a whole.
“I think [my success] has a lot to do with just how well the team has been doing and how we have come together,” she said. “Volleyball is such a team sport. I can’t hit without a set, and obviously Michelle can’t set without a pass. So it just has a lot to do with how well the team has been doing and our improvement.”
Although she has become fairly accustomed to seeing a zero in the error column after a match, Paolini maintains that the number of errors she has is not something that crosses her mind in the course of action.
“It’s more something I see after the match,” Paolini said. “I try not to think about much during the games because I don’t want it to affect how I play. I just want to be more team-oriented.”
As far as goals are concerned, the senior makes it clear that the individual records and accolades will not mean much to her if the Longhorns are not able to win the Big 12 title and make a serious run at a national championship.
“I think being a senior, I have turned my attention a lot to just team goals and winning a national championship,” Paolini said. “This is my last year to do it, so I will go to any extent to do that. And I’ve just really focused on that and taking one game at a time to get to that point. Especially with the captain role, it has been more of a team goal.”
The No. 4 Longhorns can take a major step toward a conference championship Wednesday when they face No. 3 Nebraska at 8 p.m. at Gregory Gymnasium. A win over the Cornhuskers would guarantee Texas at least a share of the Big 12 title — as long as they win their final three regular season matches against Kansas, Missouri and Colorado.
The two teams met earlier this season in Lincoln, Neb. in the first match of conference play. The Cornhuskers emerged from that contest with a 3-1 victory.
Paolini, however, shined in defeat, posting an error-free effort while registering 12 kills on .800 hitting in the match.
“I love playing Nebraska,” she said. “It’s so fun. It’s just exciting to play a team that’s at the same caliber and just so competitive with us.”
Having faced Nebraska at the beginning of their conference schedule, the Longhorns will be looking at Wednesday’s rematch, not only as a chance for revenge, but also as a measuring stick of their improvement throughout the course of the year.
“It was interesting to play them early in the season just to see where we were at,” Paolini said. “And now we get to meet at the very end of our seasons and see how much we have improved and where we both are now. So it will be interesting.”
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