No. 9 Texas Volleyball Drops Third-Straight Five-Set Match Against Oklahoma

The No. 9 Texas Volleyball team couldn’t shake its five-set struggles, dropping its third consecutive five-set match against Oklahoma.

The No. 9 Texas Volleyball team couldn’t shake its five-set struggles, dropping its third consecutive five-set match, this time against Oklahoma on Sunday at Gregory Gymnasium.

 

The Longhorns (12-6, 7-3 Big 12) showed moments of dominance, with a season-high nine service aces, but ultimately fell short as they were held to a .187 hitting percentage. Oklahoma, meanwhile, managed a more efficient .293 hitting percentage, edging out Texas in a closely contested battle.

Madisen Skinner was once again the standout for the Longhorns, recording 17 kills and adding 11 digs for her second-straight double-double. Reagan Rutherford contributed a strong performance as well, adding 15 kills with a .344 hitting percentage.

The match opened with Texas jumping to an 8-4 lead in the first set, but Oklahoma surged back with an 8-2 run to take control, winning the set 25-21. The second set saw Texas rally with a 10-3 run to take a sizable lead before holding off the Sooners in extra points for a 27-25 victory, led by Rutherford’s six kills in the set.

Texas maintained momentum into the third set, claiming a 25-19 win with back-to-back aces from Keonilei Akana to seal the set. However, Oklahoma responded in the fourth, overcoming a 15-13 Texas lead with a 7-1 run to eventually take the set 25-17 and force a deciding fifth.

In the final set, Oklahoma took control early, building an insurmountable lead and closing out the match with a 15-9 win.

The Longhorns now look to bounce back as they hit the road for a matchup against Mississippi State on Wednesday at 6 p.m. on SECN+.

Game Statistics

  • Kills: Oklahoma 66, Texas 54
  • Hitting Percentage: Oklahoma .293, Texas .187
  • Points: Oklahoma 87.5, Texas 73.0
  • Aces: Texas 9, Oklahoma 5
  • Blocks: Oklahoma 16.5, Texas 10

Game Leaders

  • Madisen Skinner: 17 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks
  • Reagan Rutherford: 15 kills, 3 blocks
  • Keonilei Akana: Strong serving performance with clutch aces