Uh, the other thing being when Binney enters the match Spears sits on the bench. That's even bigger to me than replacing Swindle, and I love both Swindle and Kahahawai.
I think there's something to be said for getting an investment from the whole team. We don't like that kind of stuff as fans. We want to see the most productive players out there. If a player isn't being productive, we want to see them replaced. Damn the consequences for team chemistry. It's not really something that enters our calculations.
I look at Kahahawai, and I question her career choices depending on how important volleyball is to her. She was the highest ranked player to come out of Hawaii, a state where volleyball has the same kind of reverence that football has in high schools in Texas. A true 6 rotation OH. She played for multiple U19 and U21 national teams. She could have transferred at any point, but bided her time on the bench. Now it's her senior year - her last year - and Spears has come in to be a force of nature. There is no universe where Kahahawai will be a better volleyball player than Cari Spears. I feel like Elliott has been trying to find a way to keep Kahahawai invested in this team. Also, we're one slip up away from Binney being the starter. Swindle already took a match off with a boot on the sidelines. Wisconsin just lost their starting setter to a dislocated shoulder. Penn State has completely imploded with the drama around their setter who helped lead them to a national championship last year and now is no longer on the team.
Elliott has created a system where he can get Binney and Kahahawai on the court in a way that has buy in from the whole team, especially Swindle and Spears. It's late in matches when Swindle rotates to the front row, and he does his double sub. It doesn't feel like a punishment to Swindle or Spears for sub par play. It creates an investment for Binney and Kahahawai, so they feel like they're making substantial contributions to the success of the team. And frankly, it's been effective at times. I will note that Texas closed out the first set in dramatic fashion, going down 22-20 and then scoring the next 5 points, with Swindle on the serving line, so your point is well taken. Also, Swindle got a critical early solo block in the 5th set with the following stare down that really set a tone.
At some point I just have to trust the coaches. There have been times I've had some doubts. I wasn't a fan of bringing Wenaas in. I wasn't a big fan of bringing in Carlsen last year, even though I feel like she's an outstanding setter (better pure setter than Swindle). I don't really like our lack of blocking as a team this year and the way we've seemed to deemphasize it. But Elliott has earned the right to make whatever mistakes he's going to make. He also has a tendency to let players play through struggles, even to an extent that can be frustrating to us fans, but earns him a tremendous amount of investment from the players he's working with. That's something we aren't going to see from the outside.