Chiaka Ogbogu refused to be crushed.

The 6-foot-2 middle blocker was a first-team All-American in back-to-back seasons entering her senior year at Texas. She also was academically ineligible.

University rules prevent her from discussing specifics, but Ogbogu was forced to sit out the 2016 volleyball season. That's disappointing for any athlete, let alone a returning captain for a team that was the national runner-up.

"It was a tough situation for her," said her teammate and roommate Ebony Nwanebu. "We talked about her coming back next year. We didn't really talk about the now. We talked about the future."

The future is now. Ogbogu ranks eighth nationally in blocks per set for the sixth-ranked Longhorns. Her .378 hitting percentage and seven service aces are also tops for Texas, which faces UTSA and West Virginia before opening Big 12 play on Sept. 27.

Credit Ogbogu, who goes by "Chee," for turning a humbling experience into a learning one. The health promotions major returned to the court academically more mindful and with an internship experience under her belt. Without the structure of collegiate training, she tailored her own routine during her time away, among the reasons she's in sync with a program vying for a third NCAA title.

"There's urgency this season," said Ogbogu, MVP of the regional that sent Texas to the final four two years ago. "That's true for any senior, but it's especially the case given my situation the year before. I have this mindset that this absolutely has to be the year and I was going to do everything in my power to make it that year."

Ogbogu didn't sit on the bench last season. She wasn't at any games in Gregory Gymnasium. She watched the final four, where Texas surprised Nebraska before falling to a freshman-loaded Stanford team, in her room with friends. She did remain engaged in the team's group text, but essentially she felt that the Longhorns season didn't belong to her.

Texas coach Jerritt Elliott talked with her regularly. "She's a very motivated young woman, so I didn't have to worry about her," he said. "Her plate was full. I didn't have any concern for how she would prepare for the season."

Ogbogu approached her classwork differently last fall, taking advantage for the first time, she said, of all the academic support afforded Longhorns athletes.

"I had always thought I could do it on my own," she said. "We have an academic center, where you can request tutors. You have all these resources in college and I became open to using all of them. I learned about time management and knowing what I have in front of me and asking for help."

Without volleyball, Ogbogu had time for an internship with the Dallas Sports Commission marketing team. It gave her a new perspective and appreciation of the Final Four, which Dallas hosted for women's basketball last spring.

"We had been to final fours, but seeing the efforts put in and the time constraints; it all ties together," she said. "Usually we just show up and play. It was neat to see how many people were working behind the scenes."

Another opportunity allowed her to shadow a physical therapist. When Ogbogu graduates in December, she intends to initially pursue a professional playing career. Afterward, she plans to prepare for physical therapy school to ideally work with athletes.

"Coming into college, I was on the pre-med route," she said. "I decided I liked the hands-on aspect of body mechanics and movements and how that all works, especially with athletes. I don't think I could ever stray away from being around athletes or sports in general."

While she didn't practice with Texas, Ogbogu got plenty of volleyball reps, going four times a week to her former club, Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV). She completed one-on-one sessions with coach Ping Cao, who played for China in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Chiaka Ogbogu is feeling an extra sense of urgency this season. Courtesy Texas

She credits him for improving her eye sequencing, a skill that helps her read the path of the ball.

"It was cool to get back and work on technical stuff with him and see the game at a slower speed," she said. "He breaks everything down to the digits on your hands. He was adamant about breaking down the game from the first thing you learn. I got comfortable working on my swings, blocking and footwork."

She adopted a strength and conditioning plan, too, so once she returned to practice in June, she was ready for the demands of the college game.

While Ogbogu didn't participate in team activities, she was an ear for Nwanebu. "Actually, she helped me a lot," Nwanebu said. "I struggle with anxiety. If I had a bad game, she was really positive and helped me through that."

A captain again, Ogbogu likens these Longhorns (7-2) to the Golden State Warriors for the embarrassment of talent they roll out on the court. Nwanebu and White, first-team All-Americans last season, continue to be hammers up front. Cat McCoy is on track to become Texas' all-time digs leader later this season. The Longhorns added the nation's top recruit in Lexi Sun, who has developed into the Longhorns' biggest hitter, and Ashley Shook, another freshman, who won the starting setter job.

As for Ogbogu, "she's the terminator," Nwanebu said.

Early-season losses to Florida and at home to Minnesota are reminders that nothing is a given, even for a team that's advanced to five straight final fours. Ogbogu said they will use those losses as building experiences in working toward reclaiming the Big 12 title (won by Kansas in 2016) and winning what's been an elusive, of late, national championship. Texas' last title was in 2012.

"The seniors before us set a standard that we all have to follow," she said. "Getting to the final four is a very cool experience, but it isn't ultimately what we're working toward. I think we come in with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder that we won't be satisfied with just getting there. We want to win the whole thing."