The Longhorns dominated its first SEC home game on Wednesday, sweeping the South Carolina Gamecocks in three sets and improving their SEC record to 3–0 and their overall record to 8–3.
Texas, recently having risen up to the No. 7 spot after two on-the-road SEC wins, looked closer to being last season’s No.1 team champions. Within a total of 107 offensive attempts, only 13 errors were made as Texas showcased improvement on both sides of the ball.
Sweeping the Gamecocks, Texas displayed one of its more impressive offensive outings of the season. Despite some South Carolina surges throughout the match, the Longhorns held steady, producing consistent offensive output throughout the game.
Some familiarity returned to the Texas team with a resurgence in senior outside hitter Madisen Skinner. Skinner, who is widely regarded as one of the best players in the country, has struggled this season to produce some similar performances to last year. Yet Skinner shone bright for the Longhorns, with 11 kills on 16 swings as well as six digs.
“Tonight was the first night I felt like Madi (Skinner) was back to (being) Madi,” said head coach Jerritt Elliott. “There’s a lot of stress and pressure for seniors in this program because they want to leave it better … she’s had a really good attitude this week with understanding that.”
All in all, Texas finished with 52 kills, a hitting percentage of .364, 50 assists and three aces to complete a thorough offensive game.
Defensively, junior libero Emma Halter had a day with 10 digs, while sophomore Marianna Singletary ended the night with eight blocks. The Longhorns pushed the Gamecocks to an attack percentage of .233. The third set in particular was an example of defensive power, as Texas kept the Gamecocks’ attack rate at .194.
“I think there is going to be constant improvement from this entire team,” said Singletary, who coincidentally calls South Carolina home. “(This is) definitely a small improvement, but there’s still a long season and we’re in it for the long run.”
The Gamecocks are usually headed by their best player, graduate student Riley Whitesides. Whitesides, however, was quiet in the game, not leading in any category of play.
Texas has been on a roll winning its fifth consecutive game, the longest streak of the season. They are now 3-0 in conference play and show no signs of slowing down. With a slow start to the 2023 season and a rebound later on, 2024 is looking familiar. If time proves consistent, Texas will soon be fighting its way back to the national championship game and another trophy.
Texas will travel to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators in the third away SEC match of the season. The game takes place on Oct. 6 at 12 p.m. on ESPN.
