After three straight conference losses, Texas volleyball returned to form with a dominant win against Mississippi State on the Bulldogs’ home turf. Finishing the game 3-1, the Longhorns held Mississippi State to their side of the court and showed off a bolstered offense that had been lacking in the previous weeks.

Senior outside hitter Madisen Skinner was the leader of that efficient offense, hitting for 25 out of the 60 total kills that the Longhorns collected out of 129 attacks, guiding Texas to a hitting percentage of .372. 

Senior outside hitter Jenna Wenaas and junior libero Emma Halter shined on the receiving side of the ball, with 17 and 15 digs apiece. Blocks were high on the scoreboard with 11, with freshman Ayden Ames protecting the net with seven.

After suffering losses from Texas A&M, Missouri and Oklahoma, this win was an important step for the Longhorns, who have been lagging in both dominance and confidence. Texas came to play against Mississippi though, with sets of 25-8, 25-15, 21-25 and 25-17.

At a previous media availability, head coach Jerritt Elliott expressed the frustration that the team experienced as a whole with losing in the conference.

“There’s no shortage of our players knowing what the standard of Texas is and what we’re trying to do here,” Elliott said a week before the Mississippi game.

This frustration was expressed nine days after the loss to Texas A&M. Following two more losses, that frustration deepened.

With this dominant win against fellow Southeastern Conference competitor Mississippi State — and with the return of Skinner, who has recently been missing in action as a playmaker — Texas volleyball looks as if its spirit has been renewed.

“This group has that enthusiasm,” Elliott said. “It gives me confidence that we’re all thinking about the right things, trying to move the right way and just trying to get better.”