Since entering the SEC, Texas volleyball has been unmatched and unbeatable. The defending national champions have made themselves at home in their new conference, slicing through opponents and extending a nine-game win streak. The team’s most recent victory came Sunday against Georgia, bringing the team’s conference record to 7-0.
It seems as though Georgia has taken over Austin this past weekend. Though the Georgia football team proved too much for the Longhorns on the gridiron, on the court they were little match.
Texas jumped out to an early lead in the first set, setting a gap as high as ten when they led the Bulldogs 19-9. Despite the low probability of a comeback, Georgia fought back and found themselves on a 15-3 run to come back and defeat the Longhorns 25-23. Texas, finding themselves blindsided by the sudden surge in offense, used this wake up call to carry on throughout the game.
The second set once again saw the Longhorns jump out to an early lead and once again saw a resurgence in Georgia’s offense. Texas held on though, securing the win 25-19. It was the third and fourth sets that saw the best of the day’s gameplay. A back-and-forth battle, blocking defined the match for both teams. Combined, Georgia and Texas produced 29 blocks, 16 of which came from the Longhorns.
Texas, as they have been doing all year, relied on late rallies and scoring runs to push itself over the finish line and win against its new conference rival. Redshirt sophomore Marianna Singletary surged out as the player of the game, recording a career high 11 blocks as well as seven kills on 10 swings. Singletary proved essential, hurting Georgia’s momentum and stopping them from going on big runs later in the match.
The match marked only the second game Texas has had in SEC play in which they did not sweep their opponent. The only other team so far was Texas A&M, a match they also won 3-1. As they continue to run through the SEC, Texas continues to resemble its old championship self seen the past two years.
Once again Texas’ greatest weapon is its depth and ability to rotate its players around in different positions and adapt. As star senior Madisen Skinner continues to dominate at the net, she also relies on her teammates..
Texas continues its homestand for another three games, facing Texas A&M for the second time this season on Wednesday for the first time at home. The game will take place at Gregory Gym at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
