Volleyball On SI

Texas Volleyball Sweeps USC in Dominant Big Ten/SEC Challenge Victory

Texas didn't allow the weekend's disappointment to tarnish its focus on the home opener against USC. The Longhorns won in straight sets and sent the Trojans packing back to California.

Paige Durrenberger

Texas outside hitter Cari Spears (23) serves during their match against Marquette on Monday, August 24, 2026, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The match was part of the four-day American Volleyball Association First Serve event.
Texas outside hitter Cari Spears (23) serves during their match against Marquette on Monday, August 24, 2026, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The match was part of the four-day American Volleyball Association First Serve event. / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's the first time freshmen at the University of Texas at Austin had the opportunity to see Texas volleyball up close and personal, and the students did not disappoint.

Fans began lining up in front of Gregory Gym four hours before first serve, and during the first few points, Austinites were still filing in.

Well, the Longhorns gave the gym something to cheer for after faltering against then-No. 12 Arizona State in Milwaukee, Wis., and No. 1 Nebraska in Las Vegas. Texas' ranking reflected the team's losses, dropping from No. 2 in the country to No. 9. Still, the Longhorns showed up and showed out against the Southern California Trojans in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20.

"It's nice playing well," head coach Jerritt Elliott said. "Obviously, when you don't win at Texas, there's a lot of pressure, so I thought our team came out really today and played loose, and that's where our goal was this week."

Sophomore outside hitter Cari Spears had a standout game, registering 17 kills and a .464 hitting percentage. When a set ball came her way, USC had just milliseconds to respond to her power and precision.

Even though Texas and USC were even throughout the first two sets, the Longhorns had dug themselves a hole in the third set with a 6-1 score. That wasn't a score that fazed the Texas rotation. The Longhorns attacked and clawed their way back to an even game at 17-17.

And when it mattered, Texas secured the third set and won 20-25 after a gritty 8-0 run. Gregory Gym erupted.

"Me and Torrey (Stafford) were talking about on the bench how fun it is to play in here because everyone was so loud," Spears said. "Our student section was on it. It was so fun, and I feel like they packed it out for our first game really well."

The issues that fans were sick of seeing, specifically at the service line, were not detrimental to the team today. While Texas still committed ten service errors, three coming from senior outside hitter Torrey Stafford, it didn't let the mistakes throw the entire match. Instead, the Longhorns were aggressive at the net — and the Trojans felt it.

USC committed eight service errors and 19 errors overall. Additionally, the Trojans hit below .300 in every single set, including a match-low .097 hitting percentage in the second set. Junior USC starting setter Lilli Etter had a particularly difficult game tonight, hitting -.667 with a service error.

This decisive win is sure to soothe some fans' anxieties after Texas lost one of its starting outside hitters, Abby Vander Wal. The sophomore went down during the TCU match last Saturday, and it was revealed on Monday that she had suffered a season-ending left ACL tear.

With Vander Wal out, freshman outside hitter Henley Anderson is in. Anderson recorded five kills, not as many as Spears and Stafford's combined 31, but enough for Texas to be in control of the court and take its home opener in straight sets.

"I feel like she's taken over that role so well," Spears said. "She's literally a freshman. She went from starting on the right side this year, and now she's playing full rotation outside."

Texas takes on No. 6 Louisville at Bridgestone Arena on Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. CT.

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Paige Durrenberger
PAIGE DURRENBERGER

Paige Durrenberger is a sports writer and Economics student at the University of Texas at Austin. She has covered golf, softball, and the Texas Stars for The Daily Texan and is also a contributing writer for 5Wins. Raised in Dallas, Texas, when Durrenberger isn’t covering sports, she’s either out running with her dog Bailey or cheering on whichever Dallas team is in season.

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