The Harvey Sister Showdown: Stanford Preview

It's been 275 days since the Horns last played a home match, but the wait is finally over when Texas comes back to the 40 acres to face off against Stanford. However, fans will have to wait just a little bit longer to get back in Gregory Gym because this one will be played in the Moody Center in front of a crowd of 10,000+. Here are some key storylines to keep an eye out for on Sunday:

The Harvey Sister Showdown

Texas freshman MB Taylor Harvey is not the only one from her family competing at a high level in NCAA volleyball. Her older sister Jordyn is coming into town for a little family reunion on the volleyball court. The junior Cardinal is Stanford's starting opposite. For the Horns, Taylor Harvey has seen court time sparingly in the first three matches, rotating in for Nya Bunton as the M2 at times. An on-court battle between the sisters would bring some extra motivation to both of these sisters. If we see one stuff block the other, I'm expecting to see an intense staredown, all in good-natured fun of course.

A Hungry Stanford

The Cardinal enter this matchup sitting at 3-1, with their only loss of the season coming at the hands of Nebraska at the AVCA First Serve. After Sunday's game, they don't have another match against a top-15 team until conference play. For a team that's hoping to build a top-4 resume by the end of the season in order to host a regional, these non-conference top-tier matchups are absolutely critical (and that goes for Texas as well). They'll have some other chances against top ACC opponents, but expect some urgency from Stanford to win now.

Texas-Centered Approach

Because it's still so early in the season, the Texas coaching staff is thinking more about themselves than about Stanford in terms of how to win this match, with Jerritt Elliott saying "we're still focused on our side of the net." There have been some rotating pieces in the first couple of weeks including a double sub with S Rella Binney and OPP Devin Kahahawai coming in, some flexibility for the second middle blocker, and Anja Kujundzic entering as a serving sub. Right now, the staff is looking to see which connections are working to make Texas the best team it can be.

The Grandeur of It All

Whether you're going to the match in person or watching on TV, take a moment to appreciate the event for what it is. The Longhorns will easily set a home attendance record at this marquee event after selling out the 10,000-seat arena in 24 hours. With many celebrities expected to be in attendance, 40+ volleyball alumni in attendance, and a national audience on ESPN, this match is just one indicator of the meteoric rise of women's volleyball.