Skip to main content
Texas

Texas Volleyball beats back-to-back top 6 teams, faces No. 9 Arizona State Sunday

by: Josh Florey2 hours ago
Jerritt Elliott
Jerritt Elliott (Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images)

It’s been an amazing start to the 2025 season for the Texas Longhorns volleyball program, starting 5-0 with four top 12 wins. 

[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY for $1 and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!]

The Longhorns opened the season with sweeps of No. 12 Creighton and No. 8 Wisconsin before defeating Rice 3-1. 

Then, the Longhorns had a huge matchup against Stanford, which was held in the Moody Center for the first time in program history. In front of one of the largest home crowds Texas has seen, the Longhorns got off to a hot start, winning the first set 25-15 and the second 25-23. But, the Horns hit poorly in the third set, falling 25-21 and then let Stanford go on a 12-1 run in the fourth, losing the set 25-13. 

Many Texas fans were very nervous to see a fifth set, as Texas went 1-5 in five set matches a season ago. And it looked like the Horns would have the same problem this year, going down 10-5 quickly (fifth sets are first to 15). However, a 6-0 run, the electric Moody crowd, and great plays by excellent Pitt transfer Torrey Stafford and Ramsey Gary allowed Texas to fight off three match points and win 18-16. 

Then, the Horns traveled to Fort Worth to take on No. 4 Louisville, a team that made the national championship game last year. Unlike the Cardinal, the Cardinals got off to a hot start in set one, leading 5-0 at one point, before finishing the set 25-23. Texas won the next set in dominant fashion 25-16, on the back of eight blocks.

The third set went back to Louisville, 25-21, putting the Horns’ backs to the wall. With the pressure on, they showed up in the fourth, winning 25-22, leading to another fifth set. Once again, the Longhorns had a poor start to the fifth set, going down 4-1, and eventually 12-9, but some great plays by the defense allowed Texas to fight back and win 16-14. 

This year’s team is jelling very well, with a good mix of young talent such as freshmen Cari Spears and Abby Vander Wal, plus veteran players like juniors Ella Swindle and Torrey Stafford, and senior Emma Halter. 

Texas continues its brutal non-conference schedule on Sunday with a home game against No. 9 Arizona State. They then play No. 15 TCU, who just beat No. 8 Texas A&M, and then face off against No. 20 Baylor. 

You may also like