Texas Volleyball Falls To Kentucky in SEC Championship

On Tuesday, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns were defeated by the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats in a striking 3-2 set at the SEC Championship, held at the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

With only two recorded regular season losses in back-to-back matchups this season — No. 6 Texas A&M (3-2) and Kentucky (3-0) — it appears that the Longhorns still haven’t quite mastered how to bypass the Wildcats.

Despite this, the Longhorns have shown immense improvement since last getting swept on their home court in early November. This time around, it wasn’t as easy of a matchup.

Texas Loses in 3-2 Match

Louisville Cardinals celebrate a point against the Texas Longhorns, Dec. 17, 2022 at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Opening up the set with an impressive performance from junior Torrey Stafford and freshman Abby Vander Wal, their joint effort led Texas to an assertive first set against Kentucky. The unit altogether recorded a hitting percentage of .439, and forced four errors on the Wildcats, limiting them to a .289.

Applying heavy pressure, the Longhorns dominated with a 4-0 run in the second set. Despite a forceful first two sets for Texas, taking a 2-0 lead in the match, it all went south from there.

Falling short in the following two sets with a subtle 26-24 defeat in the third, and a 25-22 loss in the fourth. The Longhorns maintained strong defensive power, with notable performances from junior Ella Swingle and senior Emma Halter.

At a tied 2-2, Texas dropped significantly in the divisive final set with seven hitting errors off 24 swings, giving the Wildcats a major advantage. The set ultimately ended in a 15-9 loss for the Longhorns.

What’s Next For Texas?

Texas Longhorns celebrate after winning a point against the Louisville Cardinals on Dec. 17, 2022 at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Longhorns might have lost the battle, but they haven’t yet lost the war.

Despite losing the conference championship, Texas’ aspirations for a postseason run are far from over. The unit will now wait until Selection Sunday, held on Nov. 30, to learn where they have been seeded in the NCAA Tournament, which will be held from Thursday, Dec. 4, until Sunday, Dec. 21.

As of right now, Texas volleyball remains a true contender for the national title. However, they will need to find a strategy to establish and maintain their leads against other dominant powerhouses if they want to secure their ticket to the championship match in Kansas City.

Until then, tune into the selection show on Sunday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN to see where the Longhorns land in the 2025 women’s volleyball championship tournament.