After a 3-0 win against the Jayhawks, the Longhorns remain undefeated in the Big 12. Learning from their previous game, Texas celebrated historic moments and got a lead large enough to bring some players off the bench.
With five aces and 40 digs overall, the Longhorns took what they learned from their first game against the Jayhawks and applied it to their service and passing strategy.
“I switched up the screen a little bit to try and get them some more long balls,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said about his team’s service game. “We hit the spots and got them in some really predictable positions.”
The next two points in the first set were won by blocks by the senior team at the net: Molly Phillips and Asjia O’Neal.
When Kansas called a timeout mid-way through the first set, an announcement came on over the speakers. O’Neal achieved her 500th career block and became one of four Longhorns who have reached that milestone.
“That’s a huge accomplishment, not a lot of people are able to do that,” junior outside hitter Madisen Skinner said about O’Neal. “And for her to be able to get it so early, we still have so much time to go and she’s going to surpass that (record).”
O’Neal not only achieved a career record in blocking, but also had a total of eight kills in the game.
However, it was Skinner who led the game in kills, reaching a total of 22 kills with 11 kills in the second set alone. Approaching from the back line, Skinner’s sneak attack was a tactic that Kansas did not seem to see coming.
But when the Jayhawks were able block her initial hit, Skinner was able to react quickly to get the ball back over the net.
“It’s not down until it’s down,” Skinner said. “Unless I know the whistle is being blown, my eyes are constantly on the ball.”
Despite initially losing momentum in the third set and having to come back from behind, Texas managed to build a sturdy lead and some players were able to come off the bench.
Kenna Miller, redshirt freshman outside hitter, made her way on the back line to help the team with two digs. Sophomore outside hitter Devin Kahahawai got a kill.
Marianna Singletary, redshirt freshman middle blocker, had two kills, one of which won the set and the game for the Longhorns.
“They gotta execute at a high level and cause some stress for our players,” Coach Elliot said. “(Singletary) has been doing that at a high level and Devin has been playing pretty well as well. … We can rely on people to come off the bench.”
