Texas Volleyball Shuts Down Texas A&M in Straight Sets

Texas volleyball had spent much of the season searching for a way to finish.

Against Texas A&M on Sunday, Texas finally found it.

After building an early lead, watching the Aggies claw back and navigating a third-set scare, the Longhorns settled back into their rhythm to secure a win over their in-state rival. Texas leaned on aggressive serving, disciplined blocking and contributions from a young lineup to stop Texas A&M's momentum and secure a victory that head coach Jerritt Elliott said could give his team a much-needed confidence boost.

"The numbers are showing that we're getting better, but I told them the next step is learning how to win, and tonight they did that against a really good team," Elliott said.

Texas' progress has been building beneath the surface. The Longhorns have continued to improve offensively and defensively, but improvement into wins has been a different challenge. Against an Aggie team that had recently beaten two top-10 opponents, Texas showed it could maintain its composure when the match tightened.

The Longhorns swept the Aggies at Gregory Gym 25-18, 25-19 and 25-21, extending their winning streak to three matches and handing Texas A&M their first loss in four matches.

Texas volleyball is taking on its state rival and national champions, Texas A&M this afternoon. First serve is nearly underway, scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.@VolleyballOnSI pic.twitter.com/FdMf4gpkVm
— Paige Durrenberger (@PaigeTexas06) November 1, 2026

Texas' serving pressure helped set the tone early. By pushing Texas A&M out of system, the Longhorns limited the Aggies' offensive options and gave their blockers a better chance to anticipate attacks. Freshman outside hitter Henley Anderson said the preparation this week made the difference.

"We scouted this team for a week, and I feel like as a team we really executed it, and made the game flow so much easier," Anderson said.

Anderson made the most of those opportunities. The freshman said she did not realize she had hit .400 until after the match, crediting her teammates' execution and setting for helping her find open shots.

For the record, it was .444.

Her development had become increasingly important as she adjusts to the speed and demands of college volleyball.

The transition has not always been easy. She had to step in when sophomore outside hitter Abbey Vander Wal went down with a torn ACL, but with experience and a sophisticated blocking system, Anderson has been able to expand her shot selection and adapt quickly to other teams' offenses.

"It's been super fun to step up as a freshman," Anderson said.

Her emergence had been part of a broader effort to find production through the Texas lineup. With more reliance on younger players, the Longhorns have been using a 6-2 offensive system, keeping two setters in rotation to give Texas more options at the net.

Elliott acknowleged that the system is complicated, particularly for up-and-coming players, but the depth he's created has begun to pay off.

Sophomore middle blocker Taylor Harvey provided another spark, using her serve to put Texas A&M under pressure at a crucial moment in the match.

straight to the floor🤘👊#HookEm | @StaffordTorrey pic.twitter.com/pXmM5uDTP2
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) November 1, 2026

With Texas leading by a small one-point margin, Harvey blasted three straight aces against Texas A&M, elevating the score to 12-8.

Senior outside hitter Torrey Stafford said Harvey's serving ability was nothing new.

"We see that in practice all the time," Stafford said. "I call her 'The Slicer' because she goes up and she just whips it."

The Aggies did not go quietly, though. In the third set, Texas allowed Texas A&M to take the lead, 15-13, as missed serves and defensive miscommunications gave the Aggies an opening. Elliot admitted he grew nervous as his team became tentative, allowing Texas A&M to build momentum.

But the Longhorns responded.

After struggling to close out matches earlier in the season, Texas returned to its game plan and regained its focus. Elliott wants his team to learn to stay aggressive without letting mistakes dictate its play, particularly from the service line. Texas finished with 13 service errors, several of which came during the third set.

"We got a little sloppy in game three," Elliott said. "Too many missed serves... kind of got them going 15-13, and then all of a sudden we got back into dialing in to learn how to win it."

The victory also carried a measure of redemption. Texas A&M snapped Texas' winning streak around this time last season, making this matchup feel familiar. But the Longhorns entered the rematch as a different team, one still working on finding consistency after a difficult start to the season.

pour one out for the aggies tonight🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/4CD0y8Rmsk
— Texas Volleyball (@TexasVolleyball) November 1, 2026

With a top-four seed in the conference tournament still in reach, the win was more than a rivalry victory. This was an opportunity to strengthen Texas' position heading into the postseason and build confidence in a lineup that continues to develop.

Sunday offered a glimpse of what happens when the pieces come together — now, the Longhorns must prove they can do it again.

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