The Longhorns picked up their second win of the early season, and their first in straight sets.
The No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns took down No. 18 TCU in a competitive three-set match at the Players Era Volleyball Showcase in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Texas outlasted the Horned Frogs 30-28, 25-23, 25-23 behind Torey Stafford's 12 kills and Nya Benton's career-high 10.
Henley Anderson made an impact across the floor. The freshman outside hitter posted single-game career highs in kills (8), aces (2) and digs (5), along with a team-high five blocks defending the net.
This was Texas' second matchup against a ranked opponent through a tough stretch to begin the season. After losing the season-opener to No. 12 Arizona State, the Horns have rebounded with a five-set victory over RV Marquette and their first straight-sets win of the season over TCU.
Texas has now won 16 straight matches against their former conference rivals from Fort Worth.
Now, the competition ramps up in Sin City.
The Longhorns feature in what can easily be described as the game of the year thus far, and potentially an NCAA tournament matchup, against No. 1-ranked Nebraska on Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena.
It is the 34th all-time matchup between the ACVA's top two teams in regular-season play. Texas has lost its only No. 1 vs. No. 2 games in school history: falling to the No. 1-ranked Cornhuskers in 2016 and No. 1 Penn State in the 2009 national championship.
Texas is coming off a 26-4 season that ended at the hands of the Wisconsin Badgers, whom the Horns will face again in the coming weeks, in the regional final.
Like this season, the Longhorns' non-conference slate featured several high-profile matchups. Texas' first eight matches of the 2025 season were against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national poll. The Longhorns went 8-0 in those games before starting the season on an 18-game win streak overall.
Texas received six first-place votes in the SEC preseason poll, landing them second in the league projection behind Kentucky, who garnered nine first-place tallies to barely edge out the Horns in poll points.
Preseason All-American players to watch, Stafford and Cari Spears, were named to the preseason All-SEC team for the Longhorns.
