The No. 2 Texas Longhorns (3-0) team beat the Rice Owls (1-2) in four sets in Houston on Wednesday after Rice took the first set (25-23), but the juggernaut offense of the Longhorns responded by taking the following three sets (25-14, 25-14, 25-16), improving the 2025 season record to 3-0.
In the first set, Longhorn junior libero Ramsey Gary opened the match with an early ace, putting the Longhorns up 2-0. As the first set continued, the Owls capitalized
on three service errors and recorded three blocks while junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford landed six kills in the back-and-forth battle. Rice eventually took the first set, 25-23, behind eight kills from senior outside hitter Taylor Preston.
As the Owls opened the second set with senior defensive specialist Darby Harris serving, the battle continued with Texas firing with 16 kills and a hitting percentage of .483. The offensive power was too much for Rice with Stafford and true freshman outside hitter Cari Spears each recording four kills in the second set as the Owls defense was just out matched with the Horns posting its largest lead at 24-13 off a seven-point run by holding the Owls just to 10 kills in the second set.
In the third set, the Longhorns took off to an early 8-0 lead and did not let off the gas with Stafford adding 10 more kills, helping Texas to a match high of 19 kills and .516 attacking percentage. The Owls were able to make some defensive adjustments with the aid of senior libero Gaby Mansfield, but the offense could not find any rhythm with just eight kills ending the third set, 25-14.
With the fourth set in action, the Longhorns took an early 5-0 lead with offensive discipline and execution. The Owls defense would not let down and closed it down to a four point margin with help from true freshman Sydnee Peterson bringing the score 11-7, before going on an 8-3 run. The Longhorn offense was complemented by a disciplined defense, capitalizing on errors by holding the Owls to a .026 attack percentage ending the fourth set, 25-16.
Stafford led the Longhorns against the Owls with 24 kills, two aces, and 12 digs with Spears adding 11 kills and true freshman outside hitter Abby Vander Wal complementing the the primary attackers with eight kills. Junior setter Ella Swindle distributed well with 36 assists and two blocks defensively with sophomore middle blocker Ayden Ames becoming a defensive wall with six blocks and lending six kills offensively while junior libero Anja Kujundzic served two aces to Gary’s one ace and 16 digs. Senior libero Emma Halter continued to hold the back line down with nine assists and 18 digs with help from sophomore setter Rella Binney shelling out seven assists.
Texas hosts Stanford in a top-10 showdown for the first home game of the 2025 season on Sunday at the Moody Center at 12 p.m. Central on ESPN.
