The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
2-2,0-0SEC
Nebraska
2-0,0-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 19 | 19 | 16 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
No. 2 Volleyball falls to No. 1 Nebraska at Players Era Showcase
08.30.2026 | Volleyball
Longhorns battle the top-ranked Cornhuskers in a top-two matchup at T-Mobile Arena.
LAS VEGAS – No. 2 Texas Volleyball fell to No. 1 Nebraska, 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-16), on Sunday afternoon at the Players Era Volleyball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
Cari Spears led the Longhorns (2-2) with a match-high 12 kills, while Torrey Stafford added eight kills and seven digs. Henley Anderson recorded six kills and tied for the team lead with three total blocks. Rella Binney paced Texas with 26 assists and eight digs.
Texas jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the opening set behind back-to-back blocks from Anderson and Taylor Harvey. The Longhorns extended their advantage to 8-5 before Nebraska (2-0) used a 10-0 run to take control. Texas battled back behind kills from Stafford and Spears, eventually cutting the deficit to 19-17, but Nebraska closed the set on a 6-2 run to take the opener, 25-19. Spears led all players with five kills in the set.
The Longhorns again opened quickly in the second set, taking a 4-1 lead behind two kills from Spears and a block from Spears and Harvey. Nebraska responded with a 6-0 run to move in front, 7-4, and continued to build its advantage. The Cornhuskers led 18-10 before Texas mounted a late rally, including back-to-back Stafford kills that cut the deficit to 23-18. Nebraska answered with a kill to reach set point and finished the set, 25-19, to take a 2-0 lead.
Nebraska took control early in the third set, building a 10-6 lead before extending its advantage to 15-9. Texas fought back with kills from Spears and Anderson and a block from Anderson and Bunton to cut the deficit to 16-11. The Cornhuskers, however, responded with a 4-0 run and maintained control the rest of the way, closing out the match, 25-16.
Texas will look to bounce back when it returns to Austin for its home opener against No. 20 USC on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge. First serve from Gregory Gym is set for 8 p.m. CT, with the match broadcast on ESPN2.
