The Texas Longhorns just dominated their home opener, and if you listened to the whisperings trickling through Gregory Gym, it was because Ella Swindle was a prominent presence in the lineup.
Swindle, a senior setter on the Horns' roster, had been missing from the rotation as Texas struggled through its first four games of the season, losing to the No. 12 Arizona State Sun Devils and getting swept by the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
While Swindle played a minimal role in the game against Nebraska, it was until Texas hosted the No. 15 USC Trojans on Monday that her presence was truly felt.
The Horns swept the Trojans (25-16, 25-21,25-20), looking much more like their usual selves than they did even in their sweep of the TCU Horned Frogs (30-28, 25-23, 25-23) just a few days earlier.
In the home opener against USC, Swindle didn't necessarily produce any jaw-dropping stats, but recorded three blocks. However, the leadership that Swindle's veteran experience brought to the court was palpable, and during the two sets she played in, the entire gymnasium could feel it.
Texas Longhorns volleyball revitalized in win over USC
While the Horns were missing sophomore outside hitter Abby Vander Wal, who suffered a torn ACL against the Horned Frogs, they played much more like the team that has won two of the last four National Championships.
After the 2-2 start to the season, the Longhorns needed a dominant performance in their home opener, and that's exactly what they delivered on Monday. Finally, it looked like Texas volleyball was clicking on all cylinders.
The Horns committed just 12 errors against USC, while simultaneously racking up a resounding 42 kills and hitting at 30.9%.
For comparison, in the Longhorns' straight-set loss to Nebraska, Texas committed 21 errors, earned just 33 kills, and only hit at 15.2%.
In fact, the Horns outperformed the Trojans in every single stat.
Stat | USC | Texas |
|---|---|---|
Kills | 32 | 42 |
Aces | 3 | 4 |
Blocks | 8 | 11 |
Assists | 30 | 36 |
Digs | 32 | 36 |
While this was just the first home game of the regular season, it was the perfect season-settling performance for the Longhorns. Now, Texas has to take on a few top opponents on the road. However, they looked much more like themselves than they have all season.
- vs. No. 6 Louisville Cardinals - Sunday, Sept. 6 - Nashville, TN
- at No. 8 SMU Mustangs - Wednesday, Sept. 9 - Dallas, TX
- vs. No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers - Sunday, Sept. 13 - Austin (Moody Center)
Of course, with two losses in the first four games of the season, the Horns dropped to No. 9 in the national standings, after earning the preseason No. 2 ranking.
However, it appears as though Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott has finally started to figure out how to make this lineup work well.
On Sunday, Sept. 6, the Longhorns and the Cardinals are scheduled to play at 11 a.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast on ABC.
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