The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
3-2,0-0SEC
USC
1-2,0-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | 16 | 21 | 20 | 0 |
| Texas | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
No. 9 Volleyball sweeps No. 15 USC in home opener
09.02.2026 | Volleyball
Longhorns rally from six-point deficit in third set to complete sweep in front of seventh-largest crowd in Gregory Gym history.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 9 Texas Volleyball opened its home schedule with a statement Wednesday night, sweeping No. 15 USC, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20, as part of the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge at Gregory Gym.
The Longhorns (3-2) completed the sweep in front of a sellout crowd of 4,827, the seventh-largest crowd in Gregory Gymnasium history, after rallying from an early six-point deficit in the third set to close out the Trojans (1-2).
Texas hit a season-best .309 as a team and held USC to a .135 hitting percentage.
Cari Spears led all players with 17 kills while hitting .464. She added eight digs, two total blocks and two service aces. Torrey Stafford posted 14 kills and three total blocks, while Nya Bunton recorded a match-high eight total blocks to go with four kills.
Ramsey Gary anchored the Texas defense with a match-high 11 digs, while Rella Binney directed the offense with a match-high 31 assists and added nine digs.
Texas took control early in the opening set, turning a 6-6 tie into a 12-7 advantage behind a series of USC errors, a block from Henley Anderson and Stafford and a kill from Anderson. Spears added two kills and an ace during the run as the Longhorns built a 19-12 lead. Stafford closed out the set with a kill to give Texas a 25-16 victory.
Spears and Stafford continued to lead the offense in the second set as Texas built an 11-6 advantage. USC battled back and eventually tied the set at 14-14 before taking a 17-16 lead. The Longhorns responded with four of the next five points, including kills from Stafford and Anderson, to regain a 20-19 advantage. Stafford then added another kill to make it 21-19 before a USC attack error pushed the Texas lead to three. Bunton and Spears combined for a block to give Texas set point at 24-21, and Bunton and Anderson teamed up for another block to finish the set, 25-21, and give the Longhorns a 2-0 lead.
USC opened the third set with its best stretch of the night, racing to an 8-2 lead behind a 5-0 run. Texas chipped away at the deficit, using kills from Spears, Bunton, Stafford and Anderson to pull within 15-13. The Longhorns then turned the momentum completely. A block from Ella Swindle and Bunton cut the deficit to one before Stafford's solo block tied the set at 17-17. Stafford followed with a kill to give Texas its first lead of the set, and the Longhorns scored the next three points to take a 20-17 advantage. Swindle and Bunton combined for another block before a USC setting error pushed the Texas lead to 21-17. Texas continued to pull away, with another Swindle-Bunton block making it 22-17. After a pair of USC points, a service error gave Texas match point at 24-19. USC answered with one final point, but Spears delivered the clinching kill to finish the set, 25-20, and complete the sweep.
The Longhorns now hit the road for a top-10 matchup against No. 6 Louisville on Sunday, Sept. 6, in the Broadway Block Party. First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT from inside Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with the match airing live on ABC.
