As freshman outside hitter Abby Vander Wal and sophomore middle blocker Ayden Ames triumphantly signaled to the crowd after the win over No. 6 Texas A&M, the moment wasn’t just a matter of beating an archrival or even advancing to the Southeastern Conference tournament final.
For No. 3 Texas, it truly felt like a monkey off its back.
Just less than one month prior on Oct. 31, the Longhorns suffered their first loss at the hands of the Aggies in five sets that set off a cascade of poor performances, with a loss to No. 2 Kentucky before underwhelming performances in wins against Florida, Auburn and South Carolina to close out the regular season.
At last, however, the weaknesses Texas displayed over that stretch were a key part of its victory.
“We were super disciplined in every aspect of the game,” Vander Wal said.
Meanwhile, SEC Network broadcaster Emily Ehman lauded the defensive output from the Longhorns.
“For a team that’s known for their offensive ability and being one of the best in the country in that aspect, this was the best defensive performance we’ve seen from Texas the entire year,” Ehman said.
The team’s 15 blocks, which marked a season-high, played the biggest role in the win — Ames led with eight, followed by freshman outside hitter Cari Spears with five and junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford with four.
The match began with a dream start for Texas, as the first set was a clinic in every aspect. With 14 kills on a .321 hitting percentage along with five blocks, the team dominated with a 25-18 victory.
However, Texas A&M responded by slowing down the pace of play with long, sustained rallies. The first set saw several points finish quickly in the Longhorns’ favor, but with the defensive intensity and scrappiness of the Aggies, they responded with a dominant set of their own to even the match.
Unlike the previous two sets, it became clear that the third set was going to be a dogfight; neither team led by more than two points at any point in the set. With Texas up 21-19, Texas A&M called a timeout, and it looked like the Longhorns were in control. However, the Aggies followed it up with a 4-0 run to regain momentum. With two set points, it looked like the Longhorns’ archrival would claim a pivotal set.
However, with incredible defense, Texas saved the set points. The Longhorns would go on to win the set and gain serious momentum as they collectively let out a jubilant yell after Vander Wal’s set-winning kill. Texas leveraged the lead en route to a much calmer fourth-set victory to seal the match.
After avenging their first loss this season, the Longhorns will look to avenge their second in the SEC tournament final tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET against Kentucky as they look to ride a wave of momentum into the NCAA tournament.
