No. 8 Texas had to grind for it Sunday, but the Longhorns did enough at Gregory Gymnasium to turn back Alabama in four sets, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22.
The win kept Texas (7-5, 2-0 SEC) perfect at home this season at 4-0, while Alabama (8-4, 0-4) lost for the fourth straight time.
Texas won with balance and with blocks. Three Longhorns finished in double figures in kills, led by Torrey Stafford’s 18 kills, two service aces and two blocks.
Cari Spears added 17 kills, eight digs, three blocks and an ace, and she hit a milestone along the way, reaching 500 career kills with her second kill of the match. Also in double figures, Anderson recorded 13 kills on 22 attacks while hitting .455, while adding three blocks and two digs.
The front line was just as important as the attack. Taylor Harvey and Mackenzie Collins each had a team-high six blocks, and that total was a career best for Collins. Rella Binney handed out 40 assists, her fourth 40-assist match of the season.
Alabama came out fast in the opener, jumping to a 12-5 lead before Texas started chipping away. A Collins-Spears block, then a Stafford kill and ace, pulled the Longhorns within 14-12.
Texas then ripped off four straight points to move in front 17-16, built the cushion to 21-18, and held off the Crimson Tide from there. Stafford’s seventh kill of the set finished off the 25-23 comeback.
The second set flipped the script early, with Alabama scoring the first five points. Texas answered with a 6-1 run to even things at 11-11, then got back-to-back kills from Spears and Anderson to go ahead 14-12.
The teams kept trading blows late, but Alabama grabbed a 24-22 edge. Spears kept Texas alive with a kill, yet Alabama answered to close out the set 25-23 and level the match.
Texas took command in the third. The Longhorns built a 6-3 lead, stretched it to 10-4, and stayed in front despite an Alabama push that trimmed the margin to 21-17.
Texas answered with consecutive kills from Spears and Anderson, then Spears delivered her fifth kill of the set to put the Longhorns at set point, 24-20. Binney and Collins sealed it with a block for the 25-21 win and a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set was the tightest stretch of the afternoon. Texas jumped ahead 8-3 behind four early kills from Stafford, but Alabama kept battling and eventually surged to a 20-17 lead after consecutive blocks.
Texas answered with three straight points to tie it at 20-20, including consecutive blocks from Anderson and Harvey. After the teams traded points, Binney and Harvey combined for another block to put Texas up 23-22.
An Alabama attack error gave the Longhorns match point, and Stafford ended it with her 18th kill.
Texas heads back on the road next weekend for two SEC matches. The Longhorns play Arkansas on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.
CT at Barnhill Arena, then travel to Oklahoma for a 2 p.m. CT match against the Sooners on Sunday, Oct. 11, at McCasland Field House.
Both matches will stream live on SEC Network+.
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