Volleyball On SI

Texas Volleyball Loses Key Offensive Weapon to Season-Ending Knee Injury

Sophomore outside hitter Abby Vander Wal is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a knee injury against TCU, leaving No. 2 Texas searching for answers at the pin.

Paige Durrenberger

Abby Vander Wal holds hands with a teammate before a match at the First Serve Event.
Abby Vander Wal holds hands with a teammate before a match at the First Serve Event. / Texas Athletics

Texas volleyball sophomore outside hitter Abby Vander Wal is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a knee injury Saturday against TCU, head coach Jerritt Elliott confirmed following the Longhorns' match against Nebraska on Sunday.

Vander Wal went down midway through the first set after an awkward landing following an attack. She remained on the court through the end of the point before Texas' athletic training staff came out to evaluate her.

The sophomore was eventually helped off the court and was unable to put weight on her left leg as she made her way toward the tunnel. She did not return to the match, which No. 2 Texas went on to win in straight sets.

Vander Wal registered two kills and two digs in the match before her exit.

Prior to Texas' match against No. 1 Nebraska, Texas volleyball confirmed Vander Wal's injury and informed reporters that she would be evaluated once the team arrived back in Austin.

Vander Wal was unavailable when the Longhorns returned to T-Mobile Arena on Sunday to face the Cornhuskers, leaving Texas without one of its primary offensive options in the 25-19, 25-19, 15-16 loss.

Following the match, Elliott said Vander Wal will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

The loss is a significant one for a Texas offense that entered the season with Vander Wal as part of a loaded group of outside hitters.

As a freshman in 2025, Vander Wal quickly established herself as a major piece of the Longhorns' offense. The 6-foot-3 player earned Southeastern Conference All-Freshman honors in her first collegiate season after arriving at the Forty Acres as one of the nation's top recruits.

Vander Wal also entered her sophomore campaign with a summer of international experience after helping the United States win gold at the 2026 NORCECA Women's U21 Pan American Cup. She previously earned MVP and Best Outside Hitter honors at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championship.

Without Vander Wal, Texas will have to find a way to replace her production with a player who may lack some of the experience.

Texas still has senior Torrey Stafford and sophomore outside hitter Cari Spears anchoring its group of outside hitters, but Vander Wal's absence removes a proven attacker from a team that entered the season with championship expectations.

It also adds another early obstacle for a Texas team that has already faced a demanding opening stretch. The Longhorns began the season with a four-set loss to No. 12 Arizona State before responding with victories over Marquette and TCU. Sunday's loss to Nebraska dropped the Longhorns to 2-2.

The Longhorns will now return to Austin without Vander Wal as they prepare for another ranked opponent.

Texas hosts No. 20 USC on Wednesday at Gregory Gymnasium, with first serve scheduled for 8 p.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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