The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
9-7,5-3SEC
Florida
15-2,6-1SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 21 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Texas | 25 | 16 | 26 | 23 | 11 | 2 |
No. 12 Volleyball drops five-set showdown to No. 7 Florida
10.18.2026 | Volleyball
Longhorns rally to take third set and force a decisive fifth against the seventh-ranked Gators.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 12 Texas Volleyball battled back and forth with No. 7 Florida on Sunday night, but the Longhorns came up short in a five-set loss, 21-25, 25-16, 24-26, 25-23, 15-11, inside Gregory Gymnasium.
Texas (9-7, 5-3 SEC) suffered its first home loss of the season in a match marked by multiple momentum swings. After taking the opening set, the Longhorns responded to Florida's (15-2, 6-1 SEC) second-set win with a late rally to claim the third. Texas then erased a four-point deficit in the fourth set and moved in front late before the Gators forced a deciding fifth set and closed out the match.
The Longhorns had four players reach double-digit kills, led by Torrey Stafford with 14 kills and 14 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Stafford also added two blocks. Cari Spears recorded 13 kills with a .346 hitting percentage and three blocks, while Nya Bunton finished with 12 kills on a .550 hitting percentage and three blocks. Henley Anderson added 11 kills and 11 digs for her third double-double in the last four matches.
All told, five Longhorns recorded double-doubles in the match. Rella Binney posted 28 assists and 10 digs for her seventh of the season, while Ramsey Gary registered 12 digs and and a career-high 11 assists and Genevieve Harris dished out 19 assists with a career-best 10 digs. Gary and Harris each recorded the first double-double of their careers.
Texas established control early in the opening set, building a 10-6 advantage behind kills from Stafford, Anderson and Bunton and a block by Bunton and Spears. The Longhorns maintained their lead and stretched the margin to 23-18 on a Stafford kill. Florida closed the gap to three, but a Spears kill and a Addy Gaido kill secured a 25-21 Texas win.
Florida answered in the second set, opening with a 4-1 lead and using a late run to pull away for a 25-16 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set featured another shift in momentum as Florida built a 14-10 lead before Texas began to rally. Anderson and Stafford delivered key kills to help cut into the deficit, and Anderson's solo block tied the score at 20-20. Spears followed with a solo block to put Texas ahead, and a Bunton kill extended the lead to 23-20. Florida fought back to take a 24-23 lead, but Bunton answered with a kill to make it 24-24. A block by Bunton and Stafford and a Stafford kill sealed a 26-24 Texas win and gave the Longhorns a 2-1 match lead.
Florida came out strong again in the fourth set, jumping ahead 4-0. Texas chipped away at the deficit and eventually erased a four-point gap, scoring four consecutive points to tie the set at 18-18. Spears recorded a kill during the stretch, followed by two Florida attack errors. A Stafford kill put Texas ahead 19-18, and she added two more kills to help the Longhorns build a 22-19 advantage. Florida rallied once more, tying the score at 23-23 before a pair of Texas errors gave the Gators a 25-23 win and sent the match to a fifth set.
The deciding set remained tight early, with Texas taking a 3-1 lead on a Spears kill and a block by Spears and Taylor Harvey. Gaido added consecutive kills to put the Longhorns ahead 6-4, but Florida responded with four straight points to take an 8-6. Texas pulled even at 8-8 on an Anderson kill and again at 9-9 after a Florida service error. The Gators then scored four of the next five points to build a 14-10 advantage. Stafford added a kill to keep Texas alive, but Florida closed out the match, 15-11.
Next up, Texas heads back on the road for a matchup with South Carolina inside the Carolina Volleyball Center on Sunday, Oct. 25. First serve is set for noon CT (1 p.m. ET) and the match will stream live on SEC Network+.
Texas Volleyball is presented by Huntington Bank.
