No. 2 Texas volleyball head coach Jerritt Elliott will be the first to tell you — his team is in a lull.

“We’ve lost our rhythm in terms of how we’re playing the game,” Elliott said. “And that’s a whole team effort that falls on me.”

This comes after a crucial two-match stretch against No. 9 Texas A&M away on Halloween and No. 3 Kentucky at home on Sunday. The Longhorns lost both games, their first losses of the season. Despite both opponents having played very well, a lot of the mistakes were self-inflicted.

Elliott made it clear that this poor stretch has been a top-to-bottom issue, from the coaching staff to the players’ execution. However, a broad statement like that makes the root issue unclear. Is it schemes and formations? Is it energy? Is it efficiency?

Over the last few matches, going beyond the two-match skid, the eye test will tell you one clear thing. Texas has not been blocking well, and its opponents have. In its last five matches, Texas has been outblocked three times, and the disparities weren’t particularly close — even in a 3-1 win over Oklahoma on Oct. 19, the Sooners outblocked the Longhorns 13.5 to 6.

Beyond stats, it’s clear that the defensive activity at the net has been an issue. In contrast, attacks have grown to be very predictable, allowing opponents to get touches at the net and forcing attack errors. The sheer skill of the outside hitters, combined with playing lesser competition before the last two matches, was the main reason the Longhorns’ undefeated streak ended on Oct. 31.

However, some positives in the blocking department came out late against Kentucky, as Texas finally flashed signs of its expected elite net aggression. Middle blockers sophomore Ayden Ames and redshirt sophomore Nya Bunton were exceptional, combining for eight blocks and 11 kills, a big reason why the team clawed back into the match despite a poor start.

“(The Kentucky) attackers are some of the best in the country, and so they hit a lot of uncommon shots,” Elliott said. “… So you know, anytime (we) were able to get underneath the ball and get four hands directly over the net, it was a little bit better.”

But it was clear that the inadequacies on both sides of the coin were bound to come back to bite the Longhorns. After two consecutive losses and a three-match stretch ahead before the SEC tournament, it’s on Texas to bounce back and find sustainable success to fight for a national title.

“Sometimes losing can be the best thing that happens to a team,” senior libero Emma Halter said. “And I know that this team is going to take this to heart. We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to grow from it.”

Halter’s experience, along with that of many in the locker room, will be key to getting Texas back on track. It’s rare to see champions that haven’t faced adversity in a given season, so it is up to the Longhorns to determine whether this is just a bump in the road or a full-on free fall.