“Bend, but don’t break” seems to be the current motto for No. 2 Texas volleyball.
After the thriller against No. 8 Louisville on Sept. 10, the Longhorns cruised for nearly a month, not dropping a single set in that stretch. But recently it hasn’t been as smooth sailing, and tonight against Ole Miss seemed to be no different.
Including this match, Texas has now dropped a set in four of the last five matches, with only one being against a ranked opponent. Despite this mini lull, the Longhorns once again held on to win their 17th straight game to start the season.
The win required them to dig really deep, particularly in the first set. It was an absolute marathon — by far the longest for the Longhorns this season. The Rebels’ tenacity at the net kept it extremely tight for what seemed like ages. Texas had six set points, while Ole Miss had four, before Texas finally got its seventh set point at 34-33.
In an odd way to end the set, the Rebels being out of rotation while returning a serve from sophomore middle blocker Nya Bunton gave the Longhorns the clinching point to win yet another close set.
Despite the win, it didn’t come without uncharacteristically sloppy performances.
Through three sets, junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford had eight kills along with eight errors. Nonetheless, she went on a tear in the fourth set by doubling her kills to finish with an impressive 16, along with 11 digs to record her seventh double-double.
Meanwhile, freshman outside hitter Abby Vander Wal was targeted routinely by the Rebels on their attacks and serves, which played a key role in their third-set victory. Despite this, Vander Wal put up career-high numbers for the second night in a row with 21 kills.
In a match filled with uncharacteristically sloppy performances by the Longhorns, it was a great opportunity for a Rebel to make a name for herself against an elite team. That came from junior outside hitter Gabi Placide. She was seemingly everywhere, both offensively and defensively, and played a big part in keeping the match close, as she finished with 22 kills, four blocks and 10 digs.
Despite the fight from the Rebels, Texas put its foot on the gas in the fourth set and played the way it had been accustomed to throughout this season. Behind the torrid stretch from Stafford, the Longhorns totaled a .471 hitting percentage to close it out.
Texas will continue its three-match road trip in Baton Rouge on Oct. 26, when it takes on LSU to continue its undefeated season.
