Texas lost four total sets in last week’s games versus Rice and Baylor, shocking after a season laden with sweeps. But if there was any talk of the Longhorns losing momentum, it was shut down by Thursday’s dominant 3-0 victory at TCU.

The midday victory wasn’t defined by just one play or member of the team, nor was it lopsidedly carried by the offense or defense. Texas played its same well-rounded style of play that has brought the team this far.

The last moments of the third set were a microcosm of the overall energy in Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Texas was up 21-13 after a short-lived attempted comeback by TCU. A poorly-chosen attacking angle put the ball right in sophomore opposite Skylar Fields’ hands for an easy kill. 

TCU had its back up against the wall and had to start crawling back fast if it wanted a shot at stopping the bleeding. Luckily for the Horned Frogs, Texas gave up a service error, giving them a shot from their own service line. Then Fields found the ball once again, and all it took was a strong kill to extend the Texas lead. 

That crucial swing from Fields was the beginning of the end.

It’s impossible to fathom a scenario where Texas didn’t take the win without the work of Fields and junior outside hitter Logan Eggleston. The duo was simply automatic, combining for 14 kills each, with Fields putting up a ridiculous .636 hitting percentage and Eggleston notching .583.

Both players were all over the court, making plays and finding the perfect angles to make slam dunks on the Horned Frogs. Eggleston also succeeded from the service line, putting up a team-leading four aces.

Fields erased the Horned Frogs’ small glimmer of hope, and sophomore middle blocker Molly Phillips put the cherry on top. She found her way to the net to score the game-sealing kill, which TCU tried to block but just couldn’t find the means.

Phillips was just behind the dynamic duo of Fields and Eggleston in total points scored. Phillips, along with junior middle blocker Brionne Butler (the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week) truly lived up to the names of their position, and scored half of the team’s 14 block assists. The sophomore also scored the only two solo blocks on either side of the net, in a season-high total block day for her.

It certainly wasn’t a sloppy day for the Longhorns. They were deliberate around the net, keeping errors to a minimum. The team as a whole put up an impressive .519 hitting percentage, peaking at .654 in the final set.

It’s fair to say Texas’ stars have proven to the country time and time again they’re worthy of a conference championship and more. Thursday’s game only proves there’s no such thing as a lull when there’s that much firepower on one team.

Texas has one more match against TCU in Fort Worth on Friday at 1 p.m., its last of the regular season. After that, it’s all eyes on Omaha as the Horns await the NCAA Championship Tournament starting on April 14.