The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
7-5,3-1SEC
Alabama
8-5,0-4SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 23 | 25 | 21 | 22 | 1 |
| Texas | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
No. 8 Volleyball earns four-set win over Alabama
10.04.2026 | Volleyball
Longhorns overcome early deficits and a late fourth-set rally to remain unbeaten at home.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 8 Texas Volleyball rallied past Alabama, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, on Sunday afternoon at Gregory Gymnasium.
Texas (7-5, 2-0 SEC) remained unbeaten at home this season, moving to 4-0 in Austin, while Alabama (8-4, 0-4) dropped its fourth consecutive match.
Texas used a balanced offensive attack to secure the win, with three Longhorns reaching double figures in kills. Torrey Stafford led the way with 18 kills, two service aces and two blocks, while Cari Spears added 17 kills, eight digs, three blocks and an ace. Spears also reached 500 career kills with her second kill of the match.
Henley Anderson recorded double-digit kills for the second consecutive match, finishing with 13 kills on 22 attacks while hitting .455. She also added three blocks and two digs.
Texas' blocking helped the Longhorns withstand Alabama's runs, with Taylor Harvey and Mackenzie Collins each recording a team-high six blocks, with the total marking a career-best for Collins. Rella Binney finished with 40 assists, her fourth 40-assist performance of the season.
Alabama jumped out to a 12-5 lead in the opening set before Texas began to chip away. A block from Collins and Spears, followed by a Stafford kill and ace, pulled the Longhorns within two at 14-12. Texas then scored four straight points to take its first lead at 17-16. The Longhorns built a 21-18 advantage and held off a late Alabama push, with Stafford's seventh kill of the set giving Texas a 25-23 win.
Alabama opened the second set with five consecutive points, but Texas responded with a 6-1 run to tie the score at 11-11. Consecutive kills from Spears and Anderson put the Longhorns ahead 14-12 before the teams traded leads down the stretch. Alabama took a 24-22 advantage, and although Spears kept Texas alive with a kill, the Crimson Tide answered to take the set, 25-23, and even the match.
Texas took control early in the third set, building a 6-3 lead before extending the advantage to 10-4. Alabama cut the deficit to 21-17 late in the set, but Texas answered with consecutive kills from Spears and Anderson. Spears' fifth kill of the set gave the Longhorns set point at 24-20, and Binney and Collins teamed up for a block to close out the 25-21 win and put Texas ahead 2-1.
The Longhorns carried the momentum into the fourth set, racing to an 8-3 lead behind four early kills from Stafford. Alabama gradually erased the deficit and took a 20-17 lead following consecutive blocks. Texas responded with three straight points to tie the set at 20-20, including consecutive blocks from Anderson and Harvey. After the teams traded points, Binney and Harvey teamed up for another block to give Texas a 23-22 lead. An Alabama attack error gave the Longhorns match point, and Stafford finished with her 18th kill to secure the 25-22 win and the match victory.
Texas returns to the road next weekend for a pair of SEC matches. The Longhorns face Arkansas on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. CT at Barnhill Arena before traveling to Oklahoma for a 2 p.m. CT match against the Sooners on Sunday, Oct. 11, at McCasland Field House. Both matches will stream live on SEC Network+.
Texas Volleyball is Presented by Huntington Bank
