Texas volleyball overcame Mississippi State in three sets on Sunday, achieving its seventh consecutive sweep of the season in Starkville, Mississippi.
It has now been nearly a month since the Longhorns dropped a set, and today’s battle further proved their unwillingness to fall victim to complacency.
“We always remind each other not to take days off because there’s upsets in the NCAA all over, all the time with all different teams,” sophomore middle blocker Ayden Ames said of her team earlier this week. “It’s because some teams just kind of get complacent with where they’re at, and I think I just want people to know that being at Texas, you can never be complacent with where you’re at.”
This fight against complacency demonstrated itself most prominently in the second set, after a series of offensive errors by Texas and strong defense from Mississippi State helped lead to a score of 18-18. Momentum belonged to the Bulldogs, who had earned three of the last four points leading up to the tie.
However, as a testament to their composure in tough moments, the Longhorns went on a 7-1 run to claim the set 25-19 and prevent their opponent from crawling their way back into the matchup.
Junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford and freshman outside hitter Cari Spears were each responsible for two kills during this aggressive second set finish, showcasing their ability to find a new gear with a set on the line. The pair led the team in kills on Sunday in Starkville, with Stafford recording 15 and Spears logging 10.
Mississippi State freshman outside hitter Lindsey Mangelson and junior middle blocker Gha’Naye Whitfield-Moss led the Bulldogs on the attacking front, earning nine and seven kills, respectively, and keeping their team within striking distance to the best of their ability.
That being said, Texas outmatched them in most areas throughout the game. With the exception of the tight second set, the Longhorns created and maintained significant leads.
They claimed the first and third sets with respective scores of 25-14 and 25-15, rallying around veteran collegiate players like Stafford, junior setter Ella Swindle and senior libero Emma Halter. Additionally, in continuation of what they have been doing throughout the entire season, the Longhorns trusted and relied on their younger players to help get the job done on the road.
Spears put together another strong performance, as mentioned previously, as did freshman middle blocker Taylor Harvey and Ames, who recorded eight and seven kills, respectively.
“We have a little bit of a younger roster, so everyone is still fresh in their careers, and we’re all hungry to learn,” Ames said. “We’re all hungry to play, and I think that’s a good word to describe it, is just hungry because we are always pushing ourselves to be better, and we’re always pushing for more.”
The Longhorns’ next matchup to focus their hunger toward is against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Gregory Gymnasium at 6:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 8.
They will look to keep their undefeated streak alive and move their record to 13-0 on their home turf.
