97 days ago, Texas volleyball hosted Stanford in its home opener and got played off the floor in a sweeping loss. It was a loss that Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott described as a young team still finding its footing on the season.
Three months later, Texas earned its rematch in the Elite Eight, this time on Stanford’s home court in a battle of two heavyweight programs. It didn’t take long for Texas to flip the script from the first matchup as the Longhorns took the first set. A slow second set evened things up, but Texas never shook in confidence, relying on everything it built over the season to win out and secure its fifteenth appearance in the NCAA Final Four.
“What an amazing night for the Texas Longhorns. I’m just so proud of where this team started at the beginning of the year and the process of sticking together,” Elliott said. “I’ve been coaching a long time, and this might be the greatest transformation of a team from start to finish.”
Coming into the match, Stanford boasted the best team-hitting percentage in the country, while Texas ranked third in the country in blocks per set. On a night where one had to give, the Texas block propelled the team to ensure a Longhorn victory. The Longhorns totaled only six blocks in the first matchup between these teams, but in the rematch, Texas racked up 12 blocks while holding Stanford to a .278 hitting percentage, well below their season average of .318.
Junior outside hitter Madisen Skinner had another fantastic performance, totaling 24 kills with a .383 hitting percentage, six digs and two service aces. Her freshman setter, Ella Swindle, dished out 41 assists, 11 digs and five total blocks. Senior teammate Asjia O’Neal finished second on the team in kills with 10 and five total blocks.
All three Longhorns’ stellar performances over the weekend earned them spots on the Stanford Regional All-Tournament Team, while Skinner won Most Outstanding Player.
On a night when the Longhorns knew they would be in a hostile crowd, they had to rely on each other for support throughout the match and show their growth from the first matchup to be able to change the result.
“Creating our own energy, encouraging one another, trusting one another, and having great self-talk and confidence. I feel like we did that at a really high level,” Skinner said. “Everyone was bought in, every single person from the court to the bench to the staff. We all knew we had confidence in one another and trust in one another.”
Texas heads down to Tampa, Florida, for the NCAA Final Four, where it will take on Wisconsin and continue its march towards defending its crown from last year’s NCAA Championship.
