Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

All content by Lauren Hightower
Sophomore catcher Reese Atwood is surrounded by her teammates being celebrated after hitting a home run on Wednesday. Atwood finished the game against Houston Christian University with 3 hits and 1 run to contribute to the Longhorns 14-1 win.

Home Run Heroes: Truist program gives $100 to Developing Neighborhood Athletes fund for each Texas softball home run

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter April 24, 2024

Home runs can not only make an impact on the outcome of a softball game, but also on the community.  With every home run hit during Texas softball’s season, Truist Bank donates $100 to the Developing...

Sophomore Viviana Martinez and freshman Kayden Henry reach for ball during game against Oklahoma on Friday.

No. 2/1 Texas softball beats No. RV/24 Baylor in alumni game

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter April 13, 2024

With 47 Texas softball alumni in the stands, No. 2/1 Texas softball defeated No. RV/24 Baylor 9-6 after battling back and forth for runs.  Before the game started, former catcher Jacqueline Williams,...

Sophomore Viviana Martinez and freshman Kayden Henry reach for ball during game against Oklahoma on Friday.

No. 4/5 Texas softball breaks No. 1 Oklahoma winning streak with series win

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter April 8, 2024

No. 4/5 Texas broke No. 1 Oklahoma’s series winning streak ‘sooner’ than they might have expected.  Since 2011, the Sooners had not lost a series. But after a 2-1 defensive battle similar to...

Junior pitcher Mac Morgan prepares to throw the ball against Northwestern State on March 1, 2024.

No. 4/5 Texas softball learns from 5-2 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter April 6, 2024

The wind may have changed the direction of the ball in the air on Friday night, but the wind didn’t blow hard enough to knock down No. 1 Oklahoma softball from their high ranking. In a seven inning...

Freshman Pitcher Teagan Kavan smiles and holds her horns up as her name is called prior to the game against NSU on March 1, 2024.

No. 2/2 Texas softball pitching struggles in 0-5 loss against No. 8/10 Oklahoma State

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 29, 2024

Home runs have worked in No. 2/2 Texas softball’s favor this season, but in a 0-5 loss against No. 8/10 Oklahoma State Thursday night, home runs left Texas playing catch-up. Before the Longhorn’s...

Freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan smiles after the Longhorns won against Northwestern State University on March 1, 2024.

No. 3/2 Texas softball battles in a 4-2 win against UCF

Lauren Hightower, Lauren Hightower March 24, 2024

Despite fans cheering “U-C-F” loudly in the background, No. 3/2 Texas softball held on to a close game, winning 4-2 in the second game of its three game series against the University of Central Florida. The...

No. 3/2 Texas softball dominates in 10-0 win against No. 17/18 Florida State

No. 3/2 Texas softball dominates in 10-0 win against No. 17/18 Florida State

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 21, 2024

On the road to play an unranked UCF in a three-game series this weekend, No. 3/2 Texas softball stopped to pick up a 10-0 win against No. 17/18 Florida State.  “This is great momentum,” junior...

Senior outfielder Bella Dayton drops her bat as she runs towards first base on Friday. Dayton had 1 hit and 1 run to contribute to the Longhorns 10-2 victory over Northwestern State.

Getting a blue ribbon: Bella Dayton acknowledged in No. 2/1 Texas softball 8-1 win against UTA

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 7, 2024

Blue bow tied in her hair, senior outfielder Bella Dayton took the field for her last game before conference play starts. Cheering her on alongside the rest of her family was a “cute little guy in...

Sophomore pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez prepares to pitch on Sunday, March 3, 2024. Gutierrez had a season high of seven strikeouts during this game against Hofstra.

No. 2 Texas softball sweeps Hofstra in Longhorn Invitational weekend games

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 4, 2024

In the two games played against Hofstra, No. 2 Texas softball scored a total of 17 runs, bringing their season record up to 17-1. The first game started out with a bang: first up to bat, freshman outfielder...

Sophomore Leighann Goode prepares to hit the ball during a game against Tarleton State on Friday. The Longhorns beat the Texans 17-0.

No. 2 Texas softball dominates in 17-0 win against Tarleton State

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 1, 2024

After a five-inning win against Northwestern State 30 minutes prior, No. 2 Texas softball dominated against Tarleton State in a 17-0 win, bringing their season record up to 16-1.  The Longhorns scored...

Sophomore catcher Reese Atwood swings and hits the ball on Feb. 21, 2024. At this matchup against Houston Christian University, Atwood hit a home run to lead the Longhorns to a 14-1 victory.

Cool under pressure: Texas softball’s Reese Atwood wins Big 12 and NFCA accolades

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 1, 2024

Pressure turns sophomore catcher Reese Atwood into a home run hotshot. In an impressive performance at the Lone Star State Invitational, the six-foot catcher from Sandia, Texas looked unfazed at the...

Catcher Reese Atwood prepares to catch a strike during Texas game against Louisiana on Feb. 23, 2024.

Reese Atwood gets first career grand slam in No. 2/2 Texas softball 9-0 win against Colorado State

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter February 24, 2024

In their second matchup, No. 2/2 Texas softball swept Colorado State 9-0, ending the game at the top of the fifth inning after sophomore designated player Reese Atwood’s first career grand slam. The...

The Texas Softball team waits for sophomore Reese Atwood at home plate after she hit a home run on Feb. 23, 2024. Atwood had 2 hits and 2 runs at this game against Colorado State to contribute to the Longhorns 7-0 win in the Lone Star State Invitational.

No. 2/2 Texas shuts out Colorado State 7-0

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter February 24, 2024

After winning against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette earlier in the evening 5-0, No. 2/2 Texas softball continued their winning streak with a shutout win over Colorado State, 7-0.  “We...

Freshman infielder Victoria Hunter high-fives head coach Mike White as she runs past third base after hitting a home run on Feb. 21, 2024 against Houston Christian University. Hunters home run allowed her fellow freshman Kayden Henry to score a point for the Longhorns.

Tried and true freshman: meet the 2023 Texas softball recruiting class

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter February 23, 2024

Talent lies in every class and position of No. 2 Texas softball, making it a force to be reckoned with this season.  The freshman class has so far proven itself to be indispensable as the No. 4 recruiting...

No. 3/3 Texas softball defeats No. 2 Tennessee 2-1

No. 3/3 Texas softball defeats No. 2 Tennessee 2-1

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter February 17, 2024

The last time Texas softball faced Tennessee was in the 2023 NCAA Super Regionals. Tennessee won the series, ending the Longhorns’ season. This year the Longhorns were back with redemption in mind...

Texas softball moves to No. 3 following undefeated Stacy Winsberg Tournament

Texas softball moves to No. 3 following undefeated Stacy Winsberg Tournament

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter February 14, 2024

After a monumental 5-0 weekend, the Longhorns have moved their way up in the ESPN and USA Softball rankings to No. 3 after previously being ranked No. 8/5. Texas softball started its season undefeated,...

Texas softball bullpen shines in 3-2 win against UCLA

Texas softball bullpen shines in 3-2 win against UCLA

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter February 10, 2024

Texas softball started their season with a bang and a 2-0 record.  After a run-rule and a five-inning no-hitter 19-0 win against San Diego earlier in the day, No. 8/5 Texas softball took down No. 10/8...

Linebacker Jaylan Ford on Dec. 30, 2023. Ford spoke to press during Texas’ media day ahead of the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Fans of the Sugar Bowl

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter December 30, 2023

Streetcars, jazz musicians and Saints fans usually line the streets of New Orleans, but on the first day of 2024, Texas and Washington fans will join them.   Attending the Sugar Bowl in person is...

Former Nebraska outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein transfers to Texas

Former Nebraska outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein transfers to Texas

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter December 21, 2023

After winning its second consecutive national championship, Texas volleyball is already planning ahead to try to win its third.  Whitney Lauenstein, an outside hitter for Nebraska, announced on Tuesday...

Madisen Skinner and Asjia ONeal attempt to block a spike by Toyosi Onabanjo during a game against the University of Kansas on October 6th, 2023

Texas volleyball wins second consecutive NCAA Championship after sweeping Nebraska

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter December 17, 2023

In the midst of a sea of red at Amalie Arena in Tampa, the Texas burnt orange swept Nebraska 3-0 to take its second consecutive national championship with an ace.  With orange confetti streaming down...

Madisen Skinner and Asjia ONeal attempt to block a spike by Toyosi Onabanjo during a game against the University of Kansas on October 6th, 2023

After slow start to the season, Texas volleyball is prepared to defend last year’s national title

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter December 13, 2023

After a 3-1 win against Stanford last week, No. 5 Texas volleyball celebrated their victory by getting head coach Jerritt Elliott and the other coaching staff to jump in the hotel pool with them.  And...

Libero Keonilei Akana during Texas game against A&M on Nov. 30, 2023. The game was the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, and Texas won 3-1.

No. 5 Texas volleyball moves on to round two of NCAA Championship after beating Texas A&M

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter December 1, 2023

The No. 5 Texas Longhorns beat the Texas A&M Aggies 3-1 to move to the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament where they will be playing against SMU on Friday. Both Aggie and Longhorn fans...

Senior middle blocker Asjia ONeal jumps up to spike the ball on Nov. 11, 2023 against Cincinnati. ONeal had a total of 9 kills at this game.

No. 5 Texas Volleyball to play Texas A&M in NCAA Championship first round

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 30, 2023

The first round of the NCAA Championship will start at home for defending national champion No. 5 Texas volleyball with a challenging first game against a Southeastern Conference opponent.  Not just...

Texas Tech Athletics - AthleteSam_Ehlinger2_TexasTech_Texas_200926

Head to Head History: Texas Tech

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 21, 2023

Dear Texas Tech,    We’ve been together for a long time.  In 1928, the year penicillin was discovered and Herbert Hoover was elected president, we played our first game against each other....

New Football Signees

New Football Signees

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 16, 2023

As the regular season begins to settle for college football and signing day approaches, here is a look at the top recruits that have made a verbal commitment to Texas:    Colin Simmons Five-star...

Senior middle-blocker Asjia O’Neal jumps spikes the ball toward the Iowa State volleyball team on Nov. 15, 2023. Texas won 3-1.

No. 5 Texas volleyball becomes Big 12 Champions after 3-1 win against Iowa State

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 16, 2023

Last season, Iowa State beat Texas 3-2 in Texas’ first and only loss of the season.  And after four hard-earned sets, No. 5 Texas got redemption against an unranked Iowa State, won their seventh...

Madisen Skinner and Asjia ONeal attempt to block a spike by Toyosi Onabanjo during a game against the University of Kansas on October 6th, 2023

Kansas State sweeps No. 3 Texas 3-0 in Longhorns’ first conference loss

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 10, 2023

No. 3 Texas volleyball was swept by unranked Kansas State in Manhattan on Wednesday night.  This is the last time these teams will face each other in conference play because of Texas’ move to the...

Keys to the Game: TCU

Keys to the Game: TCU

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 9, 2023

TCU is not the same football team that beat Texas 17-10 last season.  The Frogs lost eight of their starters to the NFL Draft. Five current offensive starters are injured, including TCU junior quarterback...

Longhorns in the NFL

Longhorns in the NFL

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter November 2, 2023

DeShon Elliott, Miami Dolphins After signing a one-year, $1.77 million deal with the Miami Dolphins, DeShon Elliott looked to get a contract extension and compete for a starting spot at safety. The...

Texas Volleyball team celebrates in-between sets on Sept. 3, 2023.

No. 5 Texas volleyball sweeps No. 20 Baylor, 3-0

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 28, 2023

The Bears have never won a game against the Longhorns at Gregory Gym. The 50-0 streak was not broken on Friday night.  After battling No. 20 Baylor to win 3-2 the night before, No. 5 Texas entered the...

Notes on the Coach: BYU’s Kalani Sitake

Notes on the Coach: BYU’s Kalani Sitake

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 27, 2023

On Saturday, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake will stand on the sideline opposing Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. But it wasn’t too long ago that they stood on the same sideline.  Sarkisian and...

Houston Cougars Quarterback Donovan Smith

Opponents to Watch: Houston

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 19, 2023

Despite only having a 3–3 record, Houston’s only conference win occurred last week in a huge upset against West Virginia. The game ended 41-39 with an impressive showing by the Cougar offense, which...

Asjia O’Neal spikes the ball towards the Kansas volleyball team on Oct. 5, 2023 in Gregory Gym. Texas won in four sets against the Jayhawks.

No. 7 Texas volleyball sweeps No. 21 Houston in weekend series

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 15, 2023

Traveling to Houston for the first time since 2007, the Longhorns played their games in an arena filled with over 7,000 people and drove back home to Austin with two back-to-back wins, remaining undefeated...

Madisen Skinner and Asjia ONeal attempt to block a spike by Toyosi Onabanjo during a game against the University of Kansas on October 6th, 2023

No. 8 Texas volleyball sweeps No. 17 Kansas, 3-0

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 8, 2023

After a 3-0 win against the Jayhawks, the Longhorns remain undefeated in the Big 12. Learning from their previous game, Texas celebrated historic moments and got a lead large enough to bring some players...

Heisman Watch: Week 6

Heisman Watch: Week 6

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 5, 2023

Like the rivalry between the Longhorns and the Sooners, competition for the Heisman trophy is fierce. Even though college football is only in Week 5 and there are still more opportunities for players to...

Emma halter serves the ball at game on Sep. 3, 2023

No. 10 Texas fights for every set, winning 3-1 against No. 9 BYU

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter October 1, 2023

No. 9 BYU has only lost three games this season: two against No. 10 Texas and one game against No. 7 Washington State. Meeting for the first time in the Big 12, the Longhorns won both games in the series...

Head to Head History: Kansas

Head to Head History: Kansas

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 29, 2023

Traveling to Austin to play during a triple-digit heat index, No. 24 Kansas will face off against No. 3 Texas for the 22nd time in program history, but for the first time as ranked opponents.  And...

UT vs. Baylor: Keys to the Game

UT vs. Baylor: Keys to the Game

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 21, 2023

Highlighting the first Big 12 conference game of the season, the rivalry between Baylor and Texas runs strong; only Texas A&M and Oklahoma have played more games against Texas than the Bears. This...

Longhorns volleyball against Washington State on Sep. 15, 2023.

No. 6 Texas volleyball falls to No. 11 Washington State, 1-3

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 16, 2023

Earlier this week, both No. 6 Texas volleyball and No. 11 Washington State came back from losing their first set and met the expectations of a challenging match. However, after four sets on Friday night,...

Longhorns volleyball against Washington State on Sep. 15, 2023.

No. 6 Texas volleyball battles No. 19 Ohio State, winning 3-1

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 15, 2023

The rain didn’t stop Texas fans from showing up at Gregory Gymnasium to watch No. 6 Texas volleyball play No. 19 Ohio State. The weather didn’t distract the Longhorns from their mission, winning the...

Texas fans cheer after the Longhorns defeated Alabama 34-24. The teams played at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 9, 2023.

Notes from the Opponent: Wyoming Cowboys

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 14, 2023

In preparation for Texas’ football game against Wyoming, The Daily Texan spoke to the Mountain West Connection’s Wyoming football beat writer Ethan Graham about what to expect from the Cowboys this...

Texas Volleyball team celebrates in-between sets on Sept. 3, 2023.

No. 7 Texas volleyball sweeps Florida Gulf Coast at home

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 11, 2023

Facing each other for the first time, No. 7 Texas volleyball swept Florida Gulf Coast University in the team’s first win at Gregory Gymnasium this season.  Coming into the game with a 4-2 record...

Games to Watch

Games to Watch

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter September 7, 2023

All of these teams won their respective game last week, but only half of these teams can start the season with a 2–0 record. Here are some of the top matchups to look out for this weekend:    No....

Notes on the coach — Rice

Notes on the coach — Rice

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter August 31, 2023

Under the direction of head coach Mike Bloomgren, Rice football has progressed like a turtle crossing the road: slowly, with bumps in the path, but making progress. This season will not only mark a...

Texas Volleyball players huddle up during game against Minnesota on Aug. 29, 2023.

No. 7 Texas volleyball knocks off No. 5 Minnesota away from home

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter August 30, 2023

After an upsetting loss against Long Beach State on Aug. 25 that moved No. 1 Texas to No. 7, Texas Volleyball was eager to prove themselves against another top 10 team.  From the beginning of the road...

Texas golfer Bentley Cotton heads to US Women’s Amateur Championship

Texas golfer Bentley Cotton heads to US Women’s Amateur Championship

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter July 31, 2023

With the putting green beneath her feet, senior Bentley Cotton knows how to stay composed despite next week’s hectic schedule. As she exchanges a laugh with her caddy, Cotton takes a deep breath and...

Former Longhorn swimmer Caspar Corbeau to represent Netherlands in 2023 World Aquatics Championships

Former Longhorn swimmer Caspar Corbeau to represent Netherlands in 2023 World Aquatics Championships

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter July 17, 2023

As Texas graduate swimmer Caspar Corbeau wrapped up his training camp in Hungary, it was finally time to move to a bigger stage that would allow him to represent and honor his family’s culture.  With...

Previewing best matchups for Texas soccer’s 2023 schedule

Previewing best matchups for Texas soccer’s 2023 schedule

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter July 10, 2023

With only a month left before the 2023 Texas soccer season begins, it won’t be long until the reigning Big 12 regular season champions return to campus. The Longhorns will kick off the fall semester...

Texas Womens track and field athletes make Bowerman Watch List

Texas Women’s track and field athletes make Bowerman Watch List

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter June 15, 2023

In collegiate track and field, there is not an A-list.  Instead, there’s the B-list, or The Bowerman Watch List, which names the top 10 male and female athletes across all events during each month...

Keeping athletes safe, one lawn at a time

Keeping athletes safe, one lawn at a time

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter April 10, 2023

What’s one of the most important tools to keeping Texas athletes safe on the field? A lawnmower.  As the Texas soccer team finishes their last drill at 10:30 a.m., Alex Warner, athletic turf and...

Former UNC soccer star Abby Allen is coming home

Former UNC soccer star Abby Allen is coming home

Lauren Hightower, General Sports Reporter March 3, 2023

Defender Abby Allen is coming home to Austin for her senior season. In a backyard just 30 minutes outside of Austin, the three Allen sisters brought out each other’s competitive spirits by fighting...

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