SILOAM SPRINGS — Hannah Allison's freshman season at the University of Texas has seemed like a roller coaster ride at times. The same could be said for the Longhorns' volleyball season.
But defying the odds and multiple injuries throughout the year, here are the Longhorns playing in their third straight NCAA Volleyball Final Four.
Texas will play three-time defending national champion Penn State at 6 p.m. today in the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., with a national title match berth on the line. Today's contest is a rematch of last year's finals and will be shown nationally on ESPN2.
And Allison, a 5-foot-11 setter from Siloam Springs, has played a large role in helping the Longhorns get where they're at.
Allison was Texas' starting setter until midway through October when an left ankle injury shelved her for nearly a month and a half.
A week before the start of the NCAA Tournament, Allison was finally cleared to play again.
In the second round of the NCAA Tournament against UCLA on Dec. 4, with Texas needing a spark, Allison came off the bench and dished out 24 assists as the Longhorns rallied for a four-set victory.
"It was a gusty (decision)," Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said of bringing Allison back into the mix. "Hannah had not had a lot of repetitions. She's been out almost two months, and even in the warmups, her rhythm wasn't that good.
"Hannah has shown me she's a gamer, and she's always been a gamer. She's got the personality. She's extremely competitive. I just felt like we got flat, and I felt like she could give us a spark. We had confidence in her, and she did a fantastic job."
Texas beat Illinois on Friday in the round of 16 and topped Purdue on Saturday to advance to today semifinal match.
Allison hasn't been the only Longhorn to go down with an injury this season. She said she's seen the same happen to several of her teammates.
The injuries hampered Texas early on, and the Longhorns started the season 8-5, 3-2 in the Big 12 Conference. But since a four-set loss to Nebraska on Oct. 2, Texas has not been defeated and won 19 consecutive matches.
"The season's been a roller coaster," Allison said. "Our team has gone through a lot of adversity. We've gotten through it. We got through a huge rough patch at the beginning. It took us a long time to get people back (from injuries).
"People pretty much counted us out at the beginning of the season. We've made a pretty good comeback. Whoever we've had on the floor is getting it done. We have the mentality of do whatever you have to do to contribute."
For Allison, that has often meant cheering on her teammates from the bench -- something she rarely had to do during her time at Siloam Springs. She started on the varsity team as a freshman, won four state championships and was a two-time state tournament Most Valuable Player and two-time Gatorade Player of the Year.
Apparently, she's done OK as a vocal supporter, since her voice was hoarse Monday from all her cheering the previous weekend.
When Allison went down with her ankle injury, junior Michelle Kocher -- who started at setter in a two-setter offense for Texas the previous two years -- moved back into the starting lineup. She had lost her position to Allison.
"Michelle Kocher's done an awesome job," said Allison, who enrolled at Texas in January and began battling with Kocher for the position almost immediately.
Allison said even throughout their position battle in the spring and summer, she's maintained a good relationship with Kocher.
"I think it's really unusual," she said. "Actually we've talked about it a lot and how weird it is for two people, Michelle and I, to be competing for one spot for so long. We've gotten to the point where we trust whoever's in the game.
"If she's in the game, I know she's going to get the job done. If I'm in the game, she knows I'm going to get the job done. We really have a larger view of what's going on than just playing time."
Since Allison's return from her injury, she's played as a spot server, blocker and, as shown in the UCLA match, brought in to give the team a lift.
"I've learned a new role that I've never had before really," she said. "I've learned to encourage from the sidelines. Whatever is needed I'll do it.
"I'm just trusting in God's plan and just being patient with that. I really have learned a lot from it. Who knows what else may come of it. We've gone on a huge winning streak since it happened. That was a huge thing for me that, even though I was out, we were even more successful than when I was playing.
"Our team stepped up. We knew what our role was. Everybody had to step up. That really made a huge difference in our season and is one of the reasons we're so successful at this point in the season."
In 72 sets played this season, Allison has 596 assists and has served at a 93 percent clip. She also has 111 digs and 31 total blocks.
Allison said with the NCAA semifinals in Kansas City being so close geographically to Siloam Springs, it will be great seeing supporters from her hometown.
"It's really exciting that I have that opportunity. I'm real excited for them to get to see us," she said. "I haven't seen any of them since July or whenever I was home last.
"It'll be nice to see them, and I'm glad that they can come support me and my team and that the Final Four is close enough that they can come do that."
Included in that group of supporters will be Siloam Springs volleyball coach Rose Cheek and assistant Joellen Wright.
"We're not going to miss that," Cheek said. "This is just amazing that she's having this opportunity."
Allison said, though things are "definitely crazy in the fall" during volleyball season, she thinks of her home in Siloam Springs often.
"I think everyone kind of gets that homesick feeling, especially around Christmas when we're the only people left on campus because we're in the tournament," she said. "We stick together. We had a team Christmas party (Sunday) night.
"We do things to help each other out. I'm one of the only girls that came from a small town. I'll be glad when I'm home, but hopefully that will be after we win a national championship."