Volleyball game between the Texas Longhorns and Florida A&M Rattlers at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas on December 5, 2025. (Photo: Texas Athletics)
The atmosphere in Austin crackled with excitement as the No. 3 Texas Volleyball team began its pursuit of a national title, extending its flawless record in the NCAA First Round to an incredible 42 and 0. The Longhorns were utterly dominant in a commanding straight set sweep of Florida A&M, posting scores of 25-11, 25-8, and 25-14. This victory propelled the team’s stellar season record to 24 wins and only 3 losses.
The evening was defined by a truly historic performance from defensive specialist Emma Halter. She was an absolute force, recording a phenomenal 25 digs in the three set match. This single game achievement shattered the existing Texas record for digs in a three set match, and concurrently elevated her to No. 8 on the all time Texas digs list with a career total of 1,282. Halter now joins an elite group of Longhorn legends who have logged 25 digs in a three set match, including Dariam Acevedo (2006), Adrian Greenmail (2001), and Carrie Busch (1995). Her defensive prowess established the foundation for the team’s success.
Texas exhibited powerful offense and lockdown defense throughout the night. Middle blocker Ayden Ames matched her career high with eight blocks, contributing significantly to the team’s impressive total of nine blocks. Serving specialist Ramsey Gary added pressure from the service line, registering a match high and a season high of three aces. The Longhorns’ offensive output was overwhelming, tallying 42 kills compared to the Rattlers’ 15, resulting in an opponent hitting percentage of negative .027, the lowest Texas has held an opponent to all season.
Set One: Texas established immediate control with a 25-11 win. The Longhorns hit an outstanding .414 while holding the Rattlers to a .000 attacking percentage. Torrey Stafford led the early charge with five kills and a .455 hitting percentage. Swindle distributed the offense perfectly with nine assists, and Halter started her record breaking night with 10 digs.
Set Two: The Longhorns’ defense intensified, limiting Florida A&M to only eight points, tying the lowest opponent set score of the season. Stafford remained hot, adding six more kills toward her match total of 13. Ames shined in the middle, contributing four team blocks to suppress the Rattlers’ attack.
Set Three: The final set saw key contributions from new faces, including Cari Spears who registered four kills and Whitney Lauenstein who tallied one of her five total kills. Lauenstein also displayed excellent efficiency, hitting for .571 while adding four blocks.
The Longhorns now prepare for a highly anticipated showdown in the NCAA Second Round. Texas will face No. 25 Penn State on Saturday, December 6, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+, promising a thrilling clash between two volleyball powerhouses.
University of Texas Volleyball
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