From staff reports
Torrey Stafford hammered down a match-high 27 kills and No. 4 Texas overcame a sluggish third set to beat South Carolina 25-16, 25-21, 19-25, 25-21 on Sunday afternoon at Gregory Gym.
The Longhorns (21-2, 13-2 SEC) controlled the opening two sets behind efficient offense and steady back-row play from senior libero Emma Halter, who posted 17 digs and passed .955 on the night. Texas hit .312 in the first set and .235 in the second to take a 2–0 lead before South Carolina surged in the third.
The Gamecocks (10-15, 4-11) found their rhythm behind Alayna Johnson and Emily Beeker, using a 6-1 run midway through the third set to take control and hand Texas a 25-19 loss, which was the only set the Longhorns dropped.
Texas regrouped in the fourth behind Stafford, who had seven kills in the frame, and the blocking duo of Ayden Ames and Nya Bunton, who combined for several key stops down the stretch.
Setter Ella Swindle directed the offense with 41 assists, while Ames added nine kills and Whitney Lauenstein chipped in with five.
The Longhorns move on to Savannah, Georgia to start its SEC Tournament campaign as the No. 3 seed on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 6:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network. The Longhorns will play Missouri or the winner of the LSU/Ole Miss match.
Box score
| Texas 3, South Carolina 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina (10-15, 4-11) | 16 | 21 | 25 | 21 |
| Texas (21-2, 13-2) | 25 | 25 | 19 | 25 |
Texas leaders: Kills: Stafford 27, Ames 9, Lauenstein 5, Bunton 3. Assists: Swindle 41. Digs: Halter 17, Binney 10. Aces: Stafford 1, Halter 1, Swindle 1, Binney 1. Blocks: Ames 5 BA, Bunton 4 BA, Stafford 2 BA. Team Hitting: 20–76–130 (.300).
South Carolina leaders: Kills: Johnson 13, Leahy 10, Beeker 11, Hall 12. Assists: Jordan 34. Digs: Harris 19, Marchal 13. Aces: McElveen 2, Thompson 1, Leahy 1. Blocks: Beeker 5 BA, Hall 3 BA, Ebo 3 BA. Team Hitting: 14–67–129 (.264).
