Accumulating a record of 18–0 to start its season, Texas volleyball had started to seem invincible.

The team bested nine ranked opponents, including then-No. 6 Stanford, No. 4 Louisville and No. 9 Arizona State. When asked about the foundation upon which their success was built, Longhorn players consistently referenced the cohesive culture they had created within their program. 

“The environment that the girls have created on the court is something unlike any other,” sophomore middle blocker Ayden Ames said. “These girls really, truly have a want and a will to win, and we will do whatever it takes to win, and we’ll make sure that everyone is on the same page as well.”

However, maintaining a positive culture is a lot easier for a team that hasn’t been exposed to defeat. 

Following back-to-back conference losses to Texas A&M and Kentucky, the Longhorns now have the chance to prove their culture is stronger than a string of poorly-timed negative outcomes.

“We have to know what it feels like to lose and know that we never want to feel that again,” senior libero Emma Halter said after her team got swept by the Wildcats at Gregory Gymnasium on Sunday. 

Halter, the lone senior on the team’s starting lineup and a player with a vocal leadership role both on and off the court, believes the relationships she and her teammates have cultivated this season will be what helps them prevent this difficult stretch from defining their season.

“We have such good culture,” she said. “We have such good connection, and we’re gonna fall back on that every single time we have these hard moments.”

Head coach Jerritt Elliott said the closeness of his players creates opportunities for success on the court after the team took down then-No. 21 Baylor at home earlier this season.

“They have a lot of joy,” he said. “They like being around each other, they take care of each other, they push each other and they train really hard. They’re super competitive. When you get the combination of that, you get really good chemistry, you get a lot of trust and then you can perform at a high level.”

Texas has three opportunities to rediscover their rhythm before the Southeastern Conference tournament commences, and it’s possible that this joy and competitiveness that Elliott referred to could make the difference. 

They’ll take to the road and face Florida and Auburn over the next two weeks before closing out the regular season in front of a home crowd against South Carolina. 

“Sometimes, losing can be the best thing that happens to a team, and I know that this team is going to take this to heart,” Halter said. “We’re going to learn from it. We’re going to grow from it, but at the end of the day, we have to stick together.”