Under head coach Jerrit Elliott, Texas volleyball has been defined by greatness for well more than a decade and is known to dominate competition. In the Big 12 they often sat atop the standings. When it first entered the SEC, the team displayed similar dominance. It wasn’t until a three game losing streak did the team seem to lose some steam. After a road trip into Alabama on Friday, Texas finds themselves on a new streak having won its last two contests, sweeping Auburn 3-0 in sets.
The Texas Longhorns volleyball team has had an up and down year this season. After starting out 3-3, Texas carried a nine match win streak into SEC play and sat atop the conference undefeated. In the team’s tenth matchup in the SEC, Texas faced off against Lone Star rival Texas A&M and suffered its first conference loss of the season. Since then they have split its record, losing the next two matches and now winning its last two.
The victory saw dominant set wins with only the second set posting a final score that was seemingly close at 25-21. It was in the second set that Auburn was able to nearly stick with the Longhorns at the net, but due to a clutch performance by freshman middle blocker Ayden Ames, Texas pulled out the win. Ames finished the set with four late kills, including two that resulted in the final points.
The contest was all Texas in the first and final set, with Texas taking the first 25-11. The team proved difficult to attack in this set, performing well offensively with a 0.378 hitting percentage.
In the third set Auburn nearly made it a contest with Texas leading 11-10 in the beginning before going on a 14-5 run to finish the set and take the match. It was senior outside hitter Madisen Skinner who continues to prove why she is considered one of the best, if not the best player in the country.
Skinner finished the match with 20-plus kills for the second consecutive match. Skinner’s best performances come in times of need from the rest of the team, as she plays best during critical moments.
Now that Texas has found themselves in a two match win streak after losing consecutive matches for the first time this season, they will need to continue this success for hope of good standing in December for the NCAA tournament. With only four matches left in SEC play, the back-to-back defending national champions are looking for a strong finish to the season. Texas will take on Alabama in Tuscaloosa Sunday at 12 p.m CT.
