Volleyball game between the Texas Longhorns and Iowa State Cyclones at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas on November 15, 2023. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
No. 5 Texas Volleyball beat Iowa State, 25-14, 24-26, 25-18, 25-20, to clinch the outright Big 12 Championship on Wednesday at Gregory Gym. The Longhorns (20-4, 15-1) won their seventh-consecutive Big 12 Championship while playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,649. The sellout was the 25th-consecutive at Gregory Gym dating back to last season.
Madisen Skinner posted her seventh double-double of the season with 22 kills and 14 digs, as well as four blocks, two service aces and one assist. Jenna Wenaas finished with 15 kills and hit .324 in the match.
Ella Swindle dished out 43 assists and added six digs, three kills and two blocks. Emma Halter finished with 20 digs, one shy of her career high, and added five assists. Carissa Barnes had 10 digs, while Keonilei Akana had six digs and five assists.
Molly Phillips finished with eight kills, six digs and four blocks, while Bella Bergmark had six kills and a team-high seven total blocks. Asjia O'Neal had six kills and six blocks, as well as five digs one ace and one assist.
The Longhorns started fast and rolled to a 25-14 win the opening set, hitting .323 and holding the Cyclones to a -.075 hitting percentage. Texas had six blocks in the set and dominated at the net throughout. The set was tied at 5-all before the Longhorns rattled off a 13-2 run to grab an 18-7 lead.
Texas started fast again in the second set and jumped out to a 13-7 before Iowa State battled back with an 8-2 run to tie it 15-all. The Cyclones were able to keep it close the rest of the way and pull it out, 26-24 to even the match at one set apiece.
The Longhorns bounced back to win the third set, 25-18, while hitting .444 in the set. Skinner had seven kills to lead Texas to the third set win. Texas dug itself a hole in the fourth set, trailing 12-7 before going on an 8-1 run to grab the lead. The set remained close until the end but the Longhorns finished on a 5-2 run to close out the match.
The Longhorns head on the road for their final regular season road match, at UCF on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. (Source: UT Athletics)
University of Texas Volleyball
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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