The undefeated No. 2 Texas Longhorns (8-0) open the 2025 conference schedule against the Vanderbilt Commodores (4-5) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Central at the Greg in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Picked to finish 12th in the 16-team conference, Vanderbilt has struggled against Power Four competition with losses to Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, and Cal in addition to a 3-1 defeat by UC Santa Barbara.
For the Longhorns, the Commodores are only the second unranked opponent head coach Jerritt
Elliott’s team has faced so far this season.
Some of Vandy’s contributing Commodores are junior outside hitter Kamryn Chaney leading the offense with 140 kills and 19 service aces while on defense she has recorded 14 blocks at the net with 55 digs. Sophomore libero Haliee Mack holds the back line down with 146 digs and 28 assists while sophomore outside hitter Reese Animashaun lends a hand with 73 assists, 11 blocks, and 86 kills. A leading voice for the Commodores is graduate setter Isabella Bareford leading the offense with 357 assists providing 9 service aces while shoveling 53 digs along with senior middle blocker Jacquelyn Moore leading the defense with 30 blocks and assisting with 97 offensive kills at the net.
Vanderbilt does enter the match with some momentum after
As the schedule lightens for Texas, freshman outside hitter Cari Spears looks like a budding superstar. The starter in all eight matches on the right side, Spears has recorded 25.9 percent of the team’s kills and earned back-to-back SEC Player of the Week honors after recording 28 kills in two matches last week while averaging a .600 attack percentage against No. 9 TCU and No. 21 Baylor. She matched her career high with 18 kills over the Horned Frogs, along with four digs and three blocks.
Spear is part of a dynamic freshman trio for Texas that also includes outside hitter Abby Vander Wal and middle blocker Taylor Spears — together, the three have combined for 49.1 percent of the team’s offense and 43 of the 65.5 blocks.
The SEC Network has the broadcast for Wednesday’s game.
