The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Vanderbilt
No. 2 Volleyball preview: Vandy, Missouri
09.23.2025 | Volleyball
Texas opens SEC play at home for the 2025 season
THE MATCHUP
No. 2 Texas will open its second season in the SEC with its first-ever match against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 8 pm on SEC Network. Friday night's match against the No. 21 Missouri Tigers marks the eighth ranked matchup for Texas in 10 matches. The Longhorns boast a 22-11 series record against the Tigers and a 13-4 home record. Mizzou won the last meeting at Greg in a five set match, but Texas has won nine of the last 10 meetings. The last time Texas lost back-to-back matches to Missouri was in 2004. Unlike the Longhorns, Missouri's two ranked matchups against TCU and Stanford resulted in losses.
CURRENT RANKED WINS
The No. 2 ranked Longhorns the toughest non-con schedules in the country. In the first eight matches of the season, Texas has faced seven ranked opponents (No. 12 Creighton, No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 6 Stanford, No. 4 Louisville, No. 9 Arizona State, No. 9 TCU and No. 21 Baylor) and have won all seven. Texas is the lone team ranked in the top-25 to record seven ranked wins in the first eight matches of the season and remains undefeated. Its lone non-ranked opponent was Rice who was receiving votes. UT has surpassed the number of ranked wins this season to last season in just eight matches.
ON STAFFORD WATCH
Torrey Stafford, a 2024 AVCA First Team All-American, was named to the 2025 AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List. Stafford was an AVCA National Player of the Year Semifinalist in 2024 and was also an All-ACC First Team member. This season, Stafford has been named AVCA Player of the Week, SEC Player and SEC Offensive Player of the Week. She's just the 10th-ever Longhorn to earn the AVCA weekly award.
ALL-SEC LONGHORNS
Torrey Stafford and Emma Halter were both named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team, tied for the second-most selections with LSU and Texas A&M. Kentucky led the league with four selections.The Longhorns have earned 10 weekly awards after four weeks of competition:
Emma Halter - Player & Defensive Player
Torrey Stafford - Player & Offensive Player
Cari Spears - Freshman of the Week x3 Player of the Week x2
Ella Swindle - Setter of the Week
AVCA LOVE
Texas has now earned two AVCA Player of the Week awards this season - Torrey Stafford (9/9) and Cari Spears (9/23) - totaling to 14 all-time. The duo join the list of nine other Longhorns to ever be awarded the AVCA honor: Demetria Sance (1998), Jill Gremmel (1999), Michelle Moriaty (2006), Destine Hooker (2007), Ashley Engle (2009), Jullian Faucette (2010), Haley Eckerman - 2x (2012, 2013) Logan Eggleston - 3x (2021, 2022) and Skylar Fields (2021).
FRESH FACES
The roster features five freshmen and three standout transfers. The freshmen class features Callie Krueger - Texas 6A Defensive POY, Addy Gaido - AVCA Second Team HS All-American, Taylor Harvey - the No. 1 MB in the 2025 class via VBAdrenaline, Cari Spears - 2024 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and Abby Vander Wal - AVCA First Team HS All-American. The transfers are led by Torrey Stafford (Pitt) - , Ramsey Gary (Indiana) - Second Team All-Big 10 with 968 digs in two seasons, and Aja Kujundzic (VCU) - Second Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference.
SO FROSH
The Longhorns have seen three freshmen (Harvey, Spears, Vander Wal) break into the rotation in their debut season. Cari Spears has started all eight matches for Texas on the rightside, while Abby Vander Wal (OH) and Taylor Spears (MB) have entered competition as dynamic hitters on offense. Spears alone has recorded 25.9% of the team's kills. Combined, they have totaled 49.1% of the Texas offense and 43 of the 65.5 blocks.
