Texas volleyball matures to 2-0 for season, sweeps UTSA in three sets

Kaitlyn Harmon

In just its second game of the season, the Texas volleyball team returned to Gregory Gymnasium on Sunday for an almost identical outcome against UTSA.

On Friday, the women in burnt orange captured a win against No. 20 San Diego, pulling off all three sets with 25-19, 25-15 and 25-15 victories. On Sunday, they did it again. Texas now advances to 2-0 this season, beating out UTSA in a 3-0 sweep with set wins of 25-17, 25-15 and 25-15.

Sophomore opposite hitter Skylar Fields capped off Sunday’s match with eight kills, four less than her Friday performance against San Diego. Following Fields was freshman outside hitter Melanie Parra who acted as Texas’ second leader in kills against UTSA. Sunday’s match marked Parra’s first kill, and seven at that, in a collegiate game. Aside from Parra’s seven kills, the freshman also finished with two digs and one service ace.


Texas fell behind UTSA in attacks but led in kills with 33 against UTSA’s 28. Gregory Gymnasium’s home team allotted 68 attacks and 14 aces against the Roadrunners, compared to Texas’ Friday performance with 38 kills and eight aces.

Junior outside hitter Logan Eggleston led Texas both Friday and Sunday in digs. Against the Toreros, Eggleston found her way underneath 10 passes on Friday, tying Texas freshman libero Nalani Iosia in digs. Against the Roadrunners, Eggleston recorded the most digs with 10.

While Eggleston led in digs, she also led in aces. On Sunday, the AVCA All-American made up five of Texas’ 14 aces on the service line, tying her career high. Eggleston was named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year for the 2021-2022 season.

Five Texas women entered the 2021-2022 season as All-Americans. That list consists of the above-mentioned Fields and Eggleston in addition to juniors middle blocker Brionne Butler and setter Jhenna Gabriel and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Asjia O’Neal, who all received All-American honorable mention accolades.

Butler concluded Sunday’s sweep with a simultaneous performance of six blocks and six kills. Butler’s action on the net held UTSA to a .147 hitting percentage, putting the Roadrunners under distress. Fellow honorable mention All-American Gabriel allocated 16 assists in comparison to her Friday performance of 24. Gabriel recorded a season high of 58 assists during the 2020-2021 season.

Texas now heads to Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday to face No. 7 Minnesota for its first road game of the season. Texas looks to advance ahead to 3-0 before facing No. 21 Stanford on its home court at Gregory Gymnasium on Sunday, Sept. 5.