The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball’s Stafford, Spears named to Preseason All-SEC Team
07.29.2026 | Volleyball
Longhorns selected to finish second in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Texas Volleyball's Torrey Stafford and Cari Spears were named to the 2026 Preseason All-SEC Team, the conference announced Wednesday.
The Longhorns also were selected to finish second in the SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll as voted on by the league's head coaches. Texas received six first-place votes and 216 points, just two points behind Kentucky in the preseason poll, which earned nine first-place votes. Texas A&M received one first-place vote and 191 points to finish third in the poll.
Stafford enters her senior season after establishing herself among the nation's premier players. The Torrance, Calif., native earned AVCA First Team All-America honors for the second consecutive season and was an AVCA National Player of the Year semifinalist after leading Texas with 516 kills, 33 service aces and 580.5 points in 2025.
She averaged 4.69 kills per set while hitting .360 across 30 matches and added 52 total blocks, including a team-high 11 solo blocks. Stafford's 4.69 kills per set rank ninth in program history for a single season, while her 32-kill performance in a road victory at Auburn is tied for the fifth-highest single-match total by a Longhorn. Stafford also was named the AVCA Southwest Region Player of the Year and earned AVCA All-Southwest Region honors.
Spears is coming off one of the most decorated freshman seasons in program history. The Frisco native earned AVCA Third Team All-America honors after becoming the first Texas freshman to be named AVCA National Player of the Week. She claimed the honor after hitting .600 in sweep victories over No. 9 TCU and No. 21 Baylor, totaling 28 kills in six sets while matching her career high with 18 kills against the Bears.
A five-time SEC Freshman of the Week and two-time SEC Player of the Week selection, Spears started all 30 matches and played in all 110 sets during her freshman campaign. She finished second on the team with 358 kills while averaging 3.25 kills per set and hitting .295. Spears also contributed 141 digs and 51 blocks, recording 23 double-digit kill performances on her way to AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-Southwest Region honors.
Texas opens the 2026 season at the AVCA First Serve at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The Longhorns will face Arizona State on Saturday, Aug. 22, before taking on Marquette on Monday, Aug. 24.
2026 SEC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
1. Kentucky (9) – 218
2. Texas (6) – 216
3. Texas A&M (1) – 191
4. Florida – 187
5. Tennessee – 166
6. Georgia – 144
7. Auburn – 142
8. LSU – 116
9. Missouri – 111
10. Oklahoma – 95
Vanderbilt – 95
12. Ole Miss – 67
13. Mississippi State – 65
14. South Carolina – 45
15. Alabama – 37
16. Arkansas – 25
2026 Volleyball Preseason All-SEC Team
Lauren Dreves, Auburn, OH
Jordyn Byrd, Florida, OH
Alec Rothe, Florida, MB
Bianna Muoneke, Georgia, OH
Lizzie Carr, Kentucky, MB
Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky, OH
Morgan Gaerte, Kentucky, OH
Kassie O'Brien, Kentucky, S
Molly Tuozzo, Kentucky, L
Jurnee Robinson, LSU, OH
Lindsey Mangelson, Mississippi State, OH
Caroline Kerr, Tennessee, S
Cari Spears, Texas, OH
Torrey Stafford, Texas, OH
Kyndal Stowers, Texas A&M, OH
