Texas Tops the Tigers Behind Thirty Two From Torrey

The Longhorns traveled out to Auburn, AL with the intention to play the Auburn Tigers in an SEC volleyball match, but for a little while it looked like that might not happen. About an hour before the match, a power outage in Neville Arena delayed the match indefinitely, before power returned and first serve took place 49 minutes after the scheduled start time.

It was an awkward start, but it only proved as a mental test before postseason play begins here very shortly. Consider it a trial run for the SEC tournament, where the Longhorns' first two matchups would be slated to start 30 minutes after another match ends. Despite the delay, Texas came out of the gates hot and managed to start with a lead, something they have struggled to do in recent weeks. Texas controlled the first set all the way through, a refreshing change and something to get in the habit of doing come December.

Auburn fought back before the Longhorns finished it off in the fifth set 25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 15-9. Auburn senior Liz Markovska fought tough the whole way, leading her team with 20 kills. It was an emotional scene when after battling through some clear pain for awhile, she had to be subbed out deep in the fifth set on her senior night just as her team was clinging to the hope of a major upset. I'd be remiss not to give props to her as an athlete and a competitor. But in the end, this match brings Texas to 4-1 on the season when it comes down to the tiebreaking set. This team is battle-tested, that's for sure. Some more highlights and takeaways below:

T-Time

Torrey Stafford led the effort, posting a career-high 32 kills on a .417 efficiency. This marks the third time Stafford has set a new career-high this season after 24 kills at Rice and 30 kills vs Tennessee. She played a big role in the team's hot start, going 8-for-8 in the first set hitting 1.000, an especially rare mark for an outside. We've seen it at times all season long, but it's just another reminder that she is the player that can step up and lead through the big moments.

All Hands on Deck

Despite the career night, this was a match that took contributions from basically the entire Texas roster. All three middles saw a good chunk of action, and five different pin hitters took at least nine swings on the night. Jerritt Elliott says he has at least 12 players that he fully trusts to be on the court, and that was on full display against Auburn. Texas will continue to use its depth as an asset going forward.

First Contact Work

The Horns leave each match with something they can take away to improve upon, and in this match it was the serve and pass game. It's difficult to win matches with 17 service errors, though some of that cleaned up throughout the match. The flip side of the ball was the opposite, as passing started off strong but a breakdown in that area allowed Auburn to crawl back into the match after being down 2-0.

It has come up on us shockingly quick, but there remains only one regular season matchup for the Horns, when they bring South Carolina to town on Sunday for senior night. The honorees will be Emma Halter, Devin Kahahawai, Whitney Lauenstein, and Kenna Miller. This match has no postseason implications as Texas is guaranteed to be the 3 seed in the SEC tournament, so the goal is simple: get a win and give these Longhorns a storied senior night.