By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

The Texas Longhorns get another crack at Kentucky.

No. 3 Texas avenged an Oct. 31 loss to rival Texas A&M Monday with a 3-1 (25-18, 16-25, 27-25, 25-19 ) victory to advance to the SEC championship match at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia.

The Longhorns (23-2) will face top-seeded and No. 2 Kentucky in the tournament championship on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on SEC Network up a rematch of their Nov. 2 meeting, when the Wildcats swept Texas at Gregory Gym. Kentucky advanced from the earlier semifinal, defeating Tennessee 3-1.

Torrey Stafford led Texas with 16 kills and 14 digs, while Abby Vander Wal added 10 kills and Ayden Ames and Nya Bunton chipped in seven kills each. The Longhorns hit .273 as a team and registered 24 block assists, using their front-line presence to control the final two sets.

“I thought we showed some grit in game three when we were down 23-21, we made som big plays to give us that advantage and held that through,” said Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott. “Big effort by us tonight. I thought our blocking continues to get better and I like the progress our team is making.”

Texas seized momentum early with a clean, efficient opening set, hitting .321 and pulling away late behind Stafford’s early surge.

But the Aggies (23-4) bounced back in the second, hitting .395 in their strongest frame of the night to even the match. Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers powered the response with a team-high 18 kills, while Logan Lednicky added 12 for her 17th straight game with double digit kills.

The turning point came in a tight third set that featured 18 ties and six lead changes. Texas edged A&M 27-25, overcoming eight attack errors thanks to timely kills from Stafford and Cari Spears, who finished with 11 kills and seven digs. The Longhorns’ defense stiffened late, closing the frame with a crucial block sequence that shifted control for good.

“This was a fun match to coach,” said Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison. “(Texas) made some adjustments early on, and we made some in the third, but unfortunately, we couldn’t close out the third. I’m proud of the girls for the way they responded after the first set. I think that match will make us better for a postseason run in the NCAA tournament.”

Texas closed out the fourth set with its most efficient hitting performance of the night at .393, riding Bunton and Vander Wal while setter Ella Swindle distributed 35 assists and added four kills of her own. Libero Emma Halter anchored the back row with 11 digs.

“Throughout the match, and throughout this entire tournament and entering the postseason, I think we’re entering a different stage as Texas volleyball as a whole,” Ames said. “We talk about being mentally tough, no matter what comes our way, whether the team shows up to play or not, I think we just remind ourselves to be mentally tough throughout the entire game.”

Tuesday’s championship match offers Texas a shot at redemption and a chance to claim the program’s first SEC Tournament title since joining the league.