Texas volleyball enters the last four-week stretch of its season with little room for error left. The Longhorns are ranked higher at No. 14 than any of their remaining opponents, so it is now up to Texas to handle business.
Texas did just that against the unranked South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina. The Longhorns dominated early, winning the first set 25–12 to set themselves up to defeat the Gamecocks 3–0.
Texas’ serving improved against South Carolina, as the Longhorns’ seven service errors tied their lowest in a game all season. Texas has beat themselves multiple times this season with unforced errors. Being able to protect the ball, even slightly more than Texas has this season, is a big improvement for the Longhorns as they enter the home stretch of the regular season.
“What we were seeing in the gym was not happening in our matches,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said in a media availability earlier this season. “Now we’re talking about how to manage that at a high level.”
On top of limiting errors, Texas was able to generate pressure with its serves. The Longhorns kept the ball’s trajectory flat and low to the net throughout the game, resulting in six service aces and increased pressure on the Gamecocks’ defense early in rallies.
Texas’ setter duo, junior Rella Binney and freshman Genevieve Harris, contributed in a large way to the team’s success both in play and behind the service line. In addition to having 38 combined assists, both Binney and Harris had two aces and zero service errors.
Senior middle blocker Nya Bunton shined for Texas at the end of the third set. With the final set tied at 19, Bunton was able to land a pair of powerful kills, as well as stifle a South Carolina attack with a block assisted by sophomore outside hitter Cari Spears to help push the Longhorns to a 23–20 lead and eventual 25–21 victory.
“(Bunton) can run a lot of different play routes for you,” Elliott said. “She commands so much respect because she’s hitting at such a high percentage, and she’s got such great range.”
Bunton’s impact in this game went beyond the eight kills and three blocks that appear on the statsheet. Her physicality and willingness to be vocal pushes the Longhorns, whether they are underdogs or favored.
Against South Carolina, senior outside hitter Torrey Stafford was extremely efficient. Stafford finished the game with 12 kills compared to zero attacking errors. Stafford’s zero errors is her least in a game so far this season and marks only her third game with zero errors in her two years of being a member of the Longhorns.
Freshman outside hitter Henley Anderson, on the other hand, was far less efficient. Despite racking up 11 kills, Anderson committed six attacking errors. Four of Anderson’s attacking errors came in set three, the closest set in the game and the only set where South Carolina seemed to show any chance of punishing the Longhorns for their mistakes.
Anderson’s attacking style has put more pressure on defenses this season in exchange for higher risk of error, and that has worked against higher-ranked teams like Wisconsin. Against the unranked Gamecocks, however, the Longhorns have performed much better when they just tried to make South Carolina make the plays for themselves.
Texas returns to Gregory Gymnasium in Austin to host Georgia on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
