In a stunning upset over #3 Texas, unraked Kansas State delivered the Longhorn’s first conference loss of the season – breaking the reigning national champion’s 13-game winning streak. Texas’ offense was limited to a hitting efficiency of 0.246 while Kansas State was far more productive at 0.351. The Big 12 Conference’s top-ranked hitter Madisen Skinner totaled 14 kills meeting her season average of 4.53 kills/set. However, the junior’s teammates provided a more limited contribution with the exception of Molly Phillips (8) and Ella Swindle (7) who both had near season highs at the net.
The glaring difference was the Longhorns’ numerous errors – 14 hitting errors, 11 service errors and five receiving errors. Texas was unable to defend the backline with a total of only 35 digs – making it impossible to run their offense effectively. Their inability to overcome these mistakes, as they have shown the ability to do throughout Conference play, resulted in a mental setback for the program just as it was nearing the top NCAA rank after steady improvements in the sport’s fundamentals and team chemistry.
The Longhorns have four matches left before the NCAA Tournament. First, they will host Cincinnati this Saturday at 1PM followed by another home showcase versus Iowa State on Wednesday at 6PM. The Cyclones were the last and only Conference loss for the Longhorns since 2022 until Manhattan, Kansas. Fans can catch the matches on Longhorn Network.
