Texas Climbs Out of a Two-Set Hole as West Virginia Stuns #9 Arizona State

#7 Texas and #13 Tennessee needed five sets, 29 ties and 11 lead changes to settle one of the night’s best matches in front of a Tennessee-record 9,226 fans. The Lady Vols took the first two sets and had the Longhorns in real trouble, but Texas broke a 15-15 tie in the third with a four-point run to begin its escape. Tennessee went back ahead 17-13 in the fourth before Texas answered again, taking it 25-22 and then racing to a 10-4 lead in the fifth. Tennessee closed within three, but Texas finished the reverse sweep 15-11 for its first comeback from two sets down since 2023.

Tennessee had plenty of individual brilliance even in defeat. Kennedi Rogers put down a team-high 16 kills and collected a career-best 12 digs, Caroline Kerr had 45 assists and 15 digs for her 28th career double-double, and Maggie Dostic recorded the first double-double of her career with 12 kills and 10 digs. Chelsea Sutton added 12 kills and a career-high nine blocks. Texas still finished with 68 kills to Tennessee’s 54 and 78 digs to 70, even as the Lady Vols posted season highs in digs and blocks. The Longhorns left their first visit to Knoxville since 1984 at 5-4 overall and 1-0 in the SEC.