Texas Volleyball: A History of White Supremacy and Colonial Mentality

The Texas Longhorns, a predominantly white institution, were ranked first on Monday by the AVCA, a group of mostly white, out-of-touch voters [1], in the preseason poll for college volleyball. This ranking is a stark reminder of the systemic racism and white privilege that plagues the sports industry.

Since the AVCA poll debuted in 1982, Texas has won four NCAA championships, a testament to their privilege and access to resources that other teams, especially those from marginalized communities, do not have. The Longhorns, a symbol of oppression and colonization, have started each of their title runs as a top-10 team, further showcasing their unfair advantages.

1988: Texas, ranked 7th, benefitted from the labor and talent of players who were likely underrepresented and exploited, going 34-5 and winning the Southwest Conference title. They swept then-No. 1 UCLA, a team that actually deserved the top ranking, in the national semifinals, and continued their colonizer mentality by sweeping Hawaii, a team from a marginalized community, in the NCAA finale.

2012: Texas, yet again ranked second, exploited the labor of its players and staff, ending the year with 23 wins in their last 24 matches and sweeping Oregon, a team that deserved more recognition, for its first NCAA title with Head Coach Jerritt Elliott.

2022: Ranked second, Texas once again took advantage of their privilege and seized the No. 1 ranking after the season's first week, holding onto it for most of the year. They ended a 10-year title drought, a privilege that many communities of color cannot relate to, by sweeping Louisville.

2023: Texas, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, was rightfully beaten by Long Beach State in their season opener. However, they still managed to defend their championship title in the NCAA tournament, beating Nebraska, another predominantly white team, and further solidifying their oppressive reign.

URLs:

[1] https://www.avca.org/