It's 10:22 And...

A year ago, Texas dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Oklahoma at home in Gregory Gym. That one stuck. This time, they got their shot at revenge and didn’t waste it. The Longhorns took down the Sooners in four sets, flipping the script on the rivalry and making sure everyone remembered who’s still running things. “It’s really special, and it’s always good to win a big rivalry in Texas,” setter Rella Binney said after the match.

Before the match even started, Texas was setting the energy for the match. During the announcing of the starters, Binney had a unique pregame handshake with each of the starters on the floor, a new tradition for the team. “I think it’s really cool and it gives us a little personality,” Binney said. “You get to see the styles and energy of everyone that’s playing.” You see those types of things a lot in other sports like basketball, so why not volleyball as well? It was the perfect tone-setter for a team that was here to match the energy of Gregory gym, which was the loudest it's been all season.

Set One: 25-23

Oklahoma came out in a 5-1 system with both Emoni Bush and Alexis Shelton firing early, and it looked like Texas might have their hands full again. But once Taylor Harvey stepped behind the service line late in the set, everything flipped. She strung together a huge run that gave Texas the edge they needed, closing out a tight first set. The Sooners’ shorter setter playing front row in the 5-1 gave Texas some matchups to exploit, and the Horns didn’t hesitate. Once they settled in, their serve pressure and balance across the net gave Oklahoma more problems than answers.

Set Two: 25-19

The second set was shaping up to be another nailbiter. Texas struggled with the block, and Oklahoma found ways to sneak through. But late in the set, Devin Kahahawai checked in and put up a massive roof on Shelton that completely changed the energy. That moment put Emma Halter back at the service line and sparked a run for the Longhorns. The libero closed it out with some tough serves, and Texas took the set.

Set Three: 26-24

Texas looked ready to sweep as they've done so many times this year, but this one fell the other way in the end. Cari started to heat up on the right side and found some strong kills, but the team’s focus slipped late. Oklahoma capitalized and stole the set. You could feel Texas get a little tentative after 20 points, an uncharacteristic mistake for a team that has been so strong in the red zone. “I think we just had a few mental lapses in the third set,” Binney admitted, but she added, “Our team is just a really mentally strong team and we love a good challenge.” And they proved that next set.

Set Four: 25-14

Any doubts from the third vanished quickly. Texas came out attacking and never let go of the momentum. Nya Bunton made her presence known, firing up the bench and the crowd with back-to-back blocks. The energy came back, the communication was sharper, and the team was playing its classic Texas volleyball. It was fast, loud, and unapologetic, like the Horns were reminding everyone what their standard looks like. “The way we responded was just incredible,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said afterward. It was exactly the kind of response Texas fans wanted to see.

Texas will look to carry that momentum forward through matches against Ole Miss and LSU before a spooky Halloween weekend against the two other best teams in the SEC, Texas A&M and Kentucky.