In December, the top two volleyball teams in the nation will dig, block and set for a national title in The KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. The Longhorns defeated the Louisville Cardinals in that same gym Monday night.

The game was a break from Big 12 play for the Longhorns, as they went up against a strong Louisville squad who checked in as the No. 15 team in the nation. It was a typically difficult non-conference contest for Texas, as head coach Jerritt Elliott likes to schedule tough foes in the middle of Big 12 play in order to keep his team sharp, in part because the Big 12 is going through a downward swoon as far as top-to-bottom quality.

The win was Texas’ eighth straight winning match and the No. 9 Longhorns saw a night of strong performances, including a career-high 27 kills and 23 digs for sophomore All-America outside hitter Haley Eckerman. But she wasn’t the only Longhorn with a strong performance on the evening, junior Bailey Webster notched 14 kills and seven digs and junior setter Hannah Allison posted a career-high 61 assists. 

Printed on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 as: Horns down Cardinals in five sets after furious rally from Eckerman