October kicked off with an absolute explosion for Texas Longhorns women’s sports, highlighted by a pair of dominant volleyball victories and a wild, dramatic soccer win over rival Oklahoma. It’s only early in the month, but the Longhorns are already putting on a show, with individual players stepping up big and the teams finding their stride.
Volleyball Squad Rakes in the Honors After Home Wins
The Longhorns volleyball crew came out swinging at Gregory Gym, grabbing two huge wins right at the start of the month. They absolutely dismantled Mississippi State in a straight-set sweep on October 2, taking it 25-16, 25-21, 25-19. Torrey Stafford was a beast, racking up 20 kills and 13 digs, while Henley Anderson chipped in with 12 kills of her own. Just two days later, they faced a tougher test against Alabama but still came out on top in four sets, winning 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22. Stafford kept her foot on the gas with 18 kills, Cari Spears added 17, and Anderson dropped another 13. Rella Binney was dishing them out all over the place, recording an insane 40 assists against Alabama.
Their incredible weekend performance didn’t go unnoticed either, with the team pulling in multiple SEC weekly honors. Binney snagged both Player and Setter of the Week, Stafford earned Co-Offensive Player of the Week, and Anderson was named Freshman of the Week. Talk about a clean sweep of the accolades!
Villarreal Delivers 200th Win for Soccer in Wild Comeback
Over on the pitch, the Texas soccer team pulled off a gritty, dramatic 2-1 comeback victory against rival Oklahoma at Mike A. Myers Stadium. After falling behind, it was Amalia Villarreal who brought the magic. She buried a penalty kick in the 68th minute to even things up, then didn’t stop there, later scoring the winner to clinch the game. Goalkeeper Bayliss Flynn held strong, recording five saves and keeping Oklahoma to just a single goal. This wasn’t just any win, either. It marked the 200th victory for the Longhorns at Mike A. Myers Stadium, a huge milestone that saw Texas climb higher in the national rankings.
The cross country team also got in on the action, placing sixth in the Harter’s Habanero 5K at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 3. They finished with 197 points, led by Aishling Callanan who placed 20th in 17:00.1. Mia Perez was 29th in 17:16.0, and Lili Denton finished 43rd in 17:36.4. What’s even crazier is that six of the seven Texas runners hit personal-best 5K times! They’re off this weekend but will be back later this month.
What’s Coming Up: Three Teams Face Big Tests
The action doesn’t slow down this week for the Longhorns. On Friday, October 9, the swimming and diving squad heads to Bloomington, Indiana, for an 11 a.m. Central tri-meet against Big Ten powerhouses Indiana and Northwestern. That’s an early test to see their depth. Then, at 6:30 p.m. Central that same day, the soccer team takes their momentum from the Oklahoma win on the road to Lexington to face Kentucky on SEC Network+. Keep an eye on Villarreal’s scoring form, because she’s red hot. And at 7 p.m. Central, the volleyball team opens their road weekend against Arkansas in Fayetteville, also on SEC Network+. With Stafford’s attacking prowess, Binney’s playmaking, and Anderson’s emerging performances, they’ve got plenty of offensive options to lean on.
The volleyball crew then closes out their road trip with another Red River matchup against Oklahoma on Sunday, October 11, at 2 p.m. Central in Norman. It’s a packed schedule, but if the start of October is any indication, these Longhorns are ready for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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