No. 9 Texas made a loud first impression in its home opener Wednesday night, taking down No. 15 USC in straight sets, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20, in the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge at Gregory Gym.
The Longhorns improved to 3-2 and did it in front of a sellout crowd of 4,827, the seventh-largest crowd in Gregory Gymnasium history. Texas also posted a season-best .309 hitting percentage and limited USC to .135.
Cari Spears powered the attack with 17 kills and a .464 hitting mark, adding eight digs, two total blocks and two service aces. Torrey Stafford chipped in 14 kills and three total blocks, while Nya Bunton finished with a match-high eight total blocks and four kills. Ramsey Gary led the back row with 11 digs, and Rella Binney ran the offense with 31 assists and nine digs.
Texas set the tone early in the opening set, turning a 6-6 tie into a 12-7 lead after USC errors, a block from Henley Anderson and Stafford, and an Anderson kill. Spears added two kills and an ace during that stretch, helping the Longhorns build a 19-12 cushion before Stafford put away the set at 25-16.
The second set was tighter. Texas jumped ahead 11-6 behind Spears and Stafford, but USC clawed back, tied it at 14-14 and then briefly moved in front, 17-16.
Texas answered with four of the next five points, including kills from Stafford and Anderson, to regain control at 20-19. Stafford added another kill for a 21-19 edge, USC followed with an attack error, and Bunton and Spears teamed for a block to reach set point at 24-21.
Bunton and Anderson then combined on the final block to close out a 25-21 win and send Texas up 2-0.
USC came out swinging in the third, opening a quick 8-2 lead and using a 5-0 run to seize momentum. Texas slowly trimmed the gap with kills from Spears, Bunton, Stafford and Anderson, getting within 15-13 before the match flipped.
Ella Swindle and Bunton teamed for a block to make it a one-point set, then Stafford’s solo block tied it at 17-17. Stafford followed with a kill for Texas’ first lead of the set, and the Longhorns kept rolling from there, scoring three straight points to go ahead 20-17.
Another Swindle-Bunton block made it 21-17, and after a USC response, a service error gave Texas match point at 24-19. USC got one more point, but Spears ended it with the clinching kill for a 25-20 finish.
Texas now turns to a top-10 road test against No. 6 Louisville on Sunday, Sept. 6, in the Broadway Block Party.
First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with the match airing live on ABC.
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