The Texas Longhorns’ postseason run came to a halt in the Elite Eight on Sunday, as they fell 3-1 to the Wisconsin Badgers in front of a packed Gregory Gymnasium. Despite entering the match as the No. 1 seed and boasting a 26-4 record, Texas couldn’t find the rhythm that’s carried them all season. Wisconsin, the No. 3 seed, punched their ticket to the Final Four with a composed, physical performance that exposed Texas’ youth and inconsistency.
Let’s be clear: this was not a case of Texas getting blown off the court statistically. In fact, the Longhorns held their own in several key metrics.
But volleyball isn’t just about numbers-it’s about execution, especially when the pressure’s on. And in this one, the Badgers simply executed better.
One of the biggest storylines was the quiet night from junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford. The Longhorns needed their star to shine, but she struggled to find her groove, finishing with nine kills on a .132 hitting percentage and four attack errors.
On the other side of the net, Wisconsin’s Mimi Colyer delivered a clinic. The Badgers’ outside hitter racked up 23 kills at a .309 clip, consistently finding seams in the Texas block and outdueling defenders in one-on-one situations.
Her performance was the difference-maker, especially in the tight moments.
Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott tried to spark something from his bench, rotating players in and out in search of a momentum shift. But the Badgers were locked in. Every time Texas made a push, Wisconsin had an answer.
The opening set was a back-and-forth affair early, with both teams trading blows at the net. Freshmen Abby Vander Wal and Cari Spears made their presence felt, combining for seven kills in the frame.
But Wisconsin’s pressure forced errors and opened up a 23-17 lead. Texas fought off five set points, showing some grit, but ultimately dropped the set 25-22.
Set two saw Wisconsin take early control behind Colyer’s continued dominance. Texas clawed back to within one at 11-10, but the Badgers never surrendered the lead.
Grace Egan added firepower on the outside, and while senior Whitney Lauenstein tried to rally Texas with four late kills, Wisconsin closed it out 25-21. The Badgers didn’t trail once in that second frame-an impressive show of composure on the road.
The third set was Texas’ best. The Longhorns finally found some rhythm, with Vander Wal and Spears continuing to attack aggressively.
Setter Rella Binney gave the Horns a spark with back-to-back service aces to push them ahead 15-12. Texas tightened up at the net defensively, forced some key errors, and closed the set 25-20 to stay alive.
But that momentum didn’t last.
Texas came out swinging in the fourth set, riding a 4-0 run fueled by more kills from Vander Wal and Spears. But just as quickly, Wisconsin flipped the script.
Outside hitter Una Vajagic helped lead a 12-4 counterpunch, giving the Badgers a 12-8 lead. The Longhorns tried to rally again-libero Ramsey Gary landed an ace in a late 4-0 run to cut it to 18-15-but the errors piled up.
Seven miscues in the final stretch doomed Texas, and Wisconsin closed it out 25-19.
This loss will sting for a Texas squad that had championship aspirations. But it’s also a reminder of how thin the margin is at this level.
The Longhorns are loaded with young talent-Vander Wal and Spears both showed flashes of star potential-but youth comes with growing pains. And against a seasoned, battle-tested team like Wisconsin, those cracks can become canyons.
For now, Texas heads into the offseason earlier than expected. But the pieces are there. With another year of development and the experience of this deep tournament run, the Longhorns will be back-and hungrier than ever.