Replay, highlights: No. 2 Texas volleyball beats No. 4 Louisville in 5 sets

Texas volleyball, ranked No. 2 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, continued its grueling nonconference schedule with a matchup against No. 4 Louisville Wednesday in Fort Worth. Just like they did against Stanford Sunday at Moody Center, the Longhorns rallied for a five-set win.

Torrey Stafford paced the Longhorns (5-0) with 20 kills and 18 digs while freshman phenom fired a career-high 16 kills. Freshman Abby Vander Wal added 14 kills, including the game-winner in the 23-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 16-14 victory. Ella Swindle tallied 37 assists.

Emma Halter (17 digs, eight assists), Rella Binney (10 digs, seven assists) and Ramsey Gary (12 digs, five assists) anchored a ferocious backrow effort that helped the Longhorns overcome 35 attacking errors, the most in at least 15 years for Texas.

Peyton Petersen paced Louisville (4-1) with 18 kills.

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Read below for a replay and highlights from Texas volleyball’s win over Louisville.

Three days after rallying from a five-point deficit in the fifth set against Stanford, Texas does it again. The Longhorns fend off a match point and come back from an 11-6 deficit in the fifth set and win it on a kill by freshman Abby Vander Wal.

The Longhorns are on a 6-1 run, and Louisville takes its final timeout. Another five-set thriller for No. 2 Texas. An amazing defensive sequence by Rella Binney and Ramsey Gary a few points ago gave the Longhorns the juice they needed.

Texas has 33 attacking errors compared to 58 kills, which is the most errors by a Texas squad in at least 15 years. The Longhorns will have to clean things up quick to pull off another rally.

The Longhorns are playing in their second consecutive five-setter after edging Stanford Sunday at Moody Center, but Louisville is the team looking most comfortable in a taut fifth set. Seventeen blocks for Louisville, and the Cardinals are hitting .400 this set compared to .132 for Texas.

Freshman Cari Spears has a career-high 15 kills for Texas, and you never know where she’ll pop up in attack. Pin, back row, middle, she’s firing from everywhere. Torrey Stafford adds 17 digs and 16 kills, including a set-winning rocket. Match tied at 2-2.

Texas is trying to close strong, but Louisville coach Dan Meske is trying to win a fourth challenge on a tip call. Louisville leads 2-1.

A set of runs, this. Louisville reeled off a 7-0 spurt to erase a 4-0 Texas lead, but the Longhorns respond with an 8-1 run capped by Ayden Ames winning a joust. Ames has five total blocks for Texas. Louisville leads 2-1.

The Cardinals have set a season-high 14 blocks, and they keep answering every Texas challenge – literally, too, since Louisville has won three coach’s challenges. They’re on a 7-0 run. Louisville leads 2-1.

A solo block and a block assist from Texas middle Nya Bunton, and the Longhorns jump out to a quick start in a do-or-die set. Timeout, Louisville. Louisville leads 2-1.

A tight replay goes Louisville’s way, and the Cardinals are one set away from handing Texas its first loss. Peyton Petersen of Louisville and Torrey Stafford of Texas are tied for match-high honors with 13 kills, but the Cardinals have committed five fewer attacking errors in a high-error match. Louisville leads 2-1.

The Cardinals are answering any questions about their mettle after an easy opening schedule, but the Longhorns have just fended off three set points.  The two teams are tied at 1-1.

Peyton Petersen slices her 13th kill down the left sideline for Louisville, and the Cardinals are on a 5-0 run. Timeout, Texas coach Jerritt Elliott.  The two teams are tied at 1-1.

An alley-oop dunk on a fast break. A 6-4-3 double play. A back-row attack, like Cari Spears just did for her ninth kill. These are elegant sports things. The two teams are tied at 1-1.

A pair of one-armed stabs by Torrey Stafford keeps a rally alive, and it leads to a rare hitting error by Louisville. High-level volleyball in Cowtown, Panther City, Funky Town, whatever you want to call Fort Worth. The two teams are tied at 1-1.

Back-to-back blocks from Louisville, and the Cardinals are trying to claim grab their first lead of the third set. The two teams are tied at 1-1.

Louisville closes to within 22-16, but a big block from Ella Swindle and five kills in the set from Torrey Stafford help Texas rebound from dropping its first opening set of the season. We’re even at 1-1.

Texas is firing on all cylinders right now. Torrey Stafford is up to a match-high nine kills, Devin Kahahawai keeps playing solid minutes off the bench, and the Longhorn block is starting to slow Louisville go-to attacker Peyton Petersen, who has just two of her nine kills 9 kills this set. Louisville leads 1-0.

Louisville has used its last timeout of the set as the Longhorns stay hot. Cari Spears and Torrey Stafford are leading the onslaught with seven and six kills, respectively. Spears also has three blocks, and Nya Bunton has four blocks for the Longhorns.

Set two: Texas 8, Louisville 3    

Texas doesn’t want another slow start. Freshman OH Cari Spears is up to seven kills, including a thunderous shot off Louisville’s Hannah Kenny, and classmate Abby Vander Wal is making a big impact defensively at the net. Louisville leads 1-0.

The Cardinals clamp down defensively in the last few points and win the set on a tip by Nayelis Cabello. Texas was out of position in the scramble, and Louisville makes them pay.

Texas falls behind 22-20, but Torrey Stafford caps a 3-0 spurt with her fifth kill down the line and Louisville takes a timeout.

Set one: Texas 19, Louisville 18  

Jerritt Elliott has been rotating in Rella Binney at the service line and Devin Kahahawai at the net late in sets, and it again pays off. Binney serves two quick points and Texas takes the lead on a Abby Vander Wal.

Set one: Texas 15, Louisville 14  

Louisville is playing frenetic defense and extending every rally, but Texas OH Torrey Stafford is heating up with three kills and an ace.

Texas has worked its way back into the match after a brutal start behind freshman Cari Spears, who has two kills and a block. Texas setter Ella Swindle wins a joust at the net, and we’re tied pending a Louisville challenge.

This is Louisville’s first meeting with a ranked team this season, but the Cardinals seem unphased in their first meeting with Texas since getting swept by the Longhorns in the 2022 national championship team. Timeout, Texas. Coach Jerritt Elliott wants to take a breath.

Texas will start setter Ella Swindle, outside hitter Cari Spears, outside hitter Torrey Stafford, libero Emma Halter, middle blocker Ayden Ames, middle blocker Nya Bunton and defensive specialist Ramsey Gary. Louisville will start Kamden Schrand, Chloe Chicoine, Nayelis Cabello, Hanna Sherman, Cara Cresse and Kalyssa Blackshear.

Since No. 7 Pittsburgh swept No. 3 Kentucky in the first game of the Shriners Children’s Showdown at the Net in Fort Worth, the start time between Texas and Louisville has been moved up to 7:53 p.m. CT.

Where: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth