SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Texas Longhorns are in their first SEC Volleyball Tournament finals and have a date with the Kentucky Wildcats.
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Texas volleyball vs Kentucky game score: Live SEC tournament updates

Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) spikes the ball during the match against Kentucky at Gregory Gym on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-StatesmanThe Wildcats swept the Longhorns Nov. 2 in what was a poor showing for Texas. Head coach Jerritt Elliott recognized that the Longhorns were not playing their best volleyball at the time and they had to change before the postseason began. Which is exactly what they did. They’ve gone nearly three weeks without a loss.
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“I thought we came out really dialed in, really focused on the very first point, and were relentless the entire night. We were good at all facets of our game,” Elliott said after the Ole Miss sweep Sunday night.
The Longhorns now have the chance up upset top seed Kentucky who has dominated their last two games by sweeping Auburn and beating Tennessee 3-1.
MORE: What to know as No. 3 Longhorns start SEC tournament
MORE: How can Texas beat No. 1 seed Kentucky
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Texas Longhorns outside hitter Torrey Stafford (4) spikes the ball during the game against Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-StatesmanFollow along for live game updates:
Spears kill goes long to make it 12-9. Ames is blocked at the net to extend the Wildcat lead. A Hudson kill finds the back line for match point and throws down a kill for the win.
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Kentucky is called for a net fault and a Vander Wal kill ties the match at eight. Texas goes to Vander Wal again who finds a touch, but Kentucky challenges there was a touch and the call was reversed to be 9-8 Wildcats. Vander Wal finds the block to tie it at nine. Kentucky makes it 10 after a kill could not be contained. Hudson gets the kill. Texas calls for a timeout.
Spears’ kill ties it at seven. Kentucky tools the block to make it eight. Time to switch sides.
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Bunton swings into the Kentucky block to extend the lead to three. But Stafford goes angle to cut the deficit to two. Spears floats a ball over that lands in the middle of the court. But a Swindle service error makes it a two-point lead again. But a Stafford kill could not be contained by the Wildcats.
Texas is called for the net violation trying to block the Kentucky kill; Elliott challenges the call and the call is confirmed. Kentucky responds with a kill that goes angle. Texas calls a timeout.
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Texas opens the set with a Stafford kill and Hudson block, but Kentucky sends down a kill. A Stafford kill goes long to tie it. Swindle takes it for herself and gets a touch on the throw down. But Kentucky responds with the block.
Vander Wal gets a touch on a kill to hold off the Wildcats, 24-22. But a dig from Stafford hits one of the pins to give Kentucky the set win.
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Out of the Kentucky time out, Stafford comes flying out of the back row for a kill. Spears joins on the fun to make it 21-20, but a Hudson kill keeps Texas down, 22-20. A Kentucky service error brings the Longhorns within one. Texas is called for a net violation to make it 23-21, Kentucky. A kill from Spears goes wide to make it set point for the Wildcats. Texas calls a time out.
Texas goes on a 3-0 run after a Kentucky kill and forces the Wildcats to call a timeout.
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Elliott calls a timeout after a Kentucky ace to reach the redzone.
Carr throws down a ball that hung in the air a bit too long. Texas challenges for contact on a Vander Wal kill to make it 16-13, upon review. DeLeye stops any Texas momentum after flying to make the kill. Stafford finds the court for the back row kill, but a Halter service error makes it 18-14. Stafford finds a spot on the court to throw it down.
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Hudson is heating up for the Wildcats and her third kill makes Texas call a timeout.
Stafford’s swings are willing the Longhorns into the match but a service error had too much sauce on it to keep Kentucky ahead 12-10. Texas challenges a Texas kill that landed out and the call was overturned to get within one, but Hudson flies to extend the lead 13-11. Kentucky goes to Hudson again and tools the block. A Wildcat service error cuts the defecit.
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Two kills by Spears tie the match for Texas but DeLeye lands a ball that Spears tried to pancake for the 8-7 lead. Texas was called for double contact to extend the lead by two. Texas’ block stuffs a DeLeye kill. A Stafford kill ties the match at nine. A Texas free ball finds its way to Kentucky’s Hudson for a kill.
A Bunton ace continues the Texas run, but a Carr kill stops the run. Spears goes for the kill but the Wildcats go back to Carr for the kill. Spears comes flying out of the back row to cut the deficit.
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Kentucky strikes first with an offspeed that could not be pancaked and a Spears kill goes wide. Hudson nails an angled shot to start the Wildcats on a 3-0 run. Texas is called for the net violation after a rally full of pancakes and digs on the wrist. A Kentucky free ball fails to clear the net to give Texas’ its first point. A Vander Wal kill cuts into the lead.
Illegal contact on Texas makes it 23-22 Longhorns. A Swindle kill makes it match point, but Hudson makes it a second match point. Texas is challenging there was contact on an Ames kill but the call is confirmed to tie it at 24. A bad pass from Halter makes it Kentucky set point and Thigpen responds to take the fourth set.
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Binney serves an error to put Kentucky in the redzone. Vander Wal is blocked at the net and Texas calls a timeout.
Ames goes for the offspeed kill in the middle of the court and swings hard in the middle to extend the lead.
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DeLeye goes for the kill but Spears responds with a swing of her own. Stafford’s serve is long for a Kentucky point.
Stafford goes angle to put the Longhorns in the redzone.
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Some calls have not gone Kentucky’s way and are playing with a lot more intensity in the middle of a 4-1 run. But an Ames kill creates some separation for the Longhorns. Kentucky is called for four contacts after a Kahahawai kill.
Kentucky is finding its rhythm and is not afraid to swing but Wildcat kills are going everywhere. Texas’ front is doing a better job reading the Kentucky defense. A Wildcat kill finally finds the court but the offense stalls on a service error.
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Kentucky rallies off three kills but a service error stops the run. A Halter dig saves a Texas point and Stafford tools the block. But Texas’ momentum stalls after being called in the net. Ames throws down a kill at the net.
Kentucky calls a timeout after a DeLeye attack error. Five of the seven points for the Longhorns have been Kentucky errors.
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Kentucky opens set three with a DeLeye service error and an attack error that hit the right pin to give Texas a 2-0 lead. Kentucky is trying to find its groove as Texas just keeps rolling.
Vander Wal goes off speed for the fifth Texas set point. Ames and Swindle combine for a block to take set two.
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A Kentucky kill stops the Texas run out of the time out, but a Texas block stops a Kentucky rally. The Longhorns win a joust to make it 23-22 and a Stafford kill ties the match 23-23. Another Stafford kill makes it set point but a Kentucky kill ties it at 24. Texas goes to Nya Bunton in the middle to make it set point again, but a Hudson kill ties it at 25. Vander Wal fully lays out for the receive and Spears sides out the kill for the fourth set point. Kentucky goes to the Carr for a kill in the middle of the court to tie it at 26.
A Stafford kill takes a sharp angle to land in to bring the Longhorns within three. An Emma Halter pancake was unsuccessful to save a Texas kill but Kentucky’s challenge overturned the call to make it a four point difference. However, two straight Stafford kills brings the Longhorns within two points and forces a Kentucky timeout.
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Texas calls a timeout after a Kentucky block puts the Wildcats in the red zone. Texas is giving themselves opportunities to close the gap but Kentucky is starting to anticipate the Longhorns offense.
Swindle’s service error gives Kentucky a three point lead out of the timeout. A rally with two free balls to Texas is completed with a Bunton kill but Eva Hudson sends a ball flying to the back row. Kentucky’s Carr’s offspeed could not be dug up for the Longhorns, but Texas responds with a block to close the deficit to three.
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The Longhorns go on a 2-0 run forcing Kentucky to call a time out. Texas has been attacking the left pin during the run led by Stafford and Spears.
Texas gets a gift of a Kentucky service error to help close the gap. Texas is having good points and are finding a good groove on offense. But Kentucky has met the Texas challenge. Kentucky service error closes the gap a bit.
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Bunton throws down a kill but a few sloppy turns on offense force Elliott to call a timeout.
Set two opens with with a Texas service error and a pair Kentucky aces. A Stafford kill gets the Longhorns on the board but it’s short lived after a Hudson kill.
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Ayden Ames’ kill goes long for the Longhorns. Cari Spears serves the first error for Texas on set point and Vander Wal’s kill lands in the middle of the court to win the set.
Longhorns stay aggressive at the net behind five Vander Wal kills this set and a couple of successful jousts. But Kentucky is coming after a few Texas mistakes on serve receive. Devin Kahahawai throws it down and Kentucky calls a timeout.
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A few Kentucky kills go long to extend Texas’ lead. The Wildcats call a timeout. So far Texas’ offense is flawless with zero attack errors or service errors.
Freshman Abby Vander Wal is leading the kills for the Longhorns with three. Swindle throws down an offspead for an early lead.
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Where: Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga.
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Sports
Liberty League Performers of the Week for January 12, 2026
Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Lola Gitlin
Lola Gitlin won the 3,000-meter race by more than 12 seconds at Cornell’s Southern Tier Invitational as she clocked a time of 10:37.55. Gitlin’s time is good for 24th nationally.
Women’s Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Lily Seyfert
Lily Seyfert placed third in the shot put at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational with a mark of 12.72 meters, which is just shy of her top mark of 12.78 this season (17th in Division III). Seyfert also finished third in the weight throw at 16.20 meters and ranks eighth in the country after that performance.
Men’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Raphael Campanile
Raphael Campanile placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 4.50 meters at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational on Saturday and currently ranks 25th in Division III with that performance.
HONOR ROLL
Matthew Zenker totaled 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals in a 1-1 week for Ithaca. Zenker netted 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 101-72 win over RIT and followed up with 24 points and eight rebounds as he shot 10-of-15 from the floor in a loss to Union.
Junior forward McNamara delivered a pair of strong performances despite setbacks against RIT and Union. Against the Tigers, she was flawless from the floor, going 3-for-3 while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. She carried that momentum into the Union matchup, coming just shy of her first career double-double with nine points and eight boards.
Sports
Area Briefs: SU’s Bellenbaum earns ODAC men’s volleyball weekly award | Winchester Star
Shenandoah University men’s volleyball freshman Simon Bellenbaum was named the ODAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The York, Pennsylvania, native accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs in SU’s two matches against Randolph and Regent, with three blocks in each game and five digs versus the Royals.
Boys’ basketball: Sherando 48, Strasburg 44
STEPHENS CITY — Sherando defeated Strasburg for its fourth straight win on Monday. The Warriors are 9-4.
Girls’ basketball: Strasburg 39, Sherando 29
STRASBURG — Strasburg completed a season sweep with a win over Sherando on Monday.
The Warriors (3-11) trailed 18-7 after one quarter, 23-10 at the half and 29-22 after three quarters.
Sherando leaders: Kinsley Richardson 10 points, 8 rebounds; Avery Ryan 8 points, 2 assists, 2 steals.
— Compiled by Robert Niedzwiecki
Sports
Damis, Johnson Awarded Weekly LEC Awards from Weekend Action
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two Keene State College student-athletes honored by the Little East Conference for their achievements accomplished for the week of January 5-11.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Freshman diver Keegan Johnson (Durham, N.H.) was named the LEC Diver of the Week and the Rookie Diver of the Week from his dives across the Owls’ final two home meets this season over the past weekend. Against Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 129.75 on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning against Norwich University, he placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 141.38 and first in the 3M diving with a score of 170.31.
Johnson and the Owls return to action for a double-dual meet against Brandeis University and Bridgewater State University on Saturday, January 17 at 12:00 PM.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Senior Eden Damis (Nashua, N.H.) was named the LEC Field Athlete of the Week from his performance at the Middlebury Snowflake Invitational on Saturday for the Owls. In the long jump, Damis posted a mark of 14.00 in the triple just for a new personal record in his final attempt of the day. His mark became the 21st best mark in NCAA Division III on the season, just one position for qualifying for nationals later this season.
Damis and the Owls return to action at the Panther Invitational I at Plymouth State University on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 AM.
Sports
TCNJ’s Garcia-Beltran and Scepkowski, Farmingdale State’s Vitale Earn NJAC Women’s Indoor Weekly Honors
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its women’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
LUCIA GARCIA-BELTRAN • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley Central
Garcia-Beltran earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 60 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior sprinter and Rutgers transfer clocked a time of 7.63 seconds, which ranks fifth in NCAA Division III.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
SARAH SCEPKOWSKI • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Garwood, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson
Scepkowski claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after clearing 1.60 meters in the high jump at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior’s mark ranks 20th in NCAA Division III and stands as one of the top performances in the conference this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
AMELIA VITALE • Farmingdale State College
Freshman • Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge
Vitale was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after posting a time of 2:30.87 in the 800 meters at the Spartan Invitational. The freshman’s performance represents the top mark in the event thus far in the NJAC this season and establishes her as the conference’s early leader in the middle-distance event.
Sports
TCNJ Sweeps NJAC Men’s Indoor Weekly Honors; Rychkov, Paulmenn, Akinboboye Honored
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its men’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11.
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MAXIM RYCHKOV • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville
Rychkov earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 400 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore clocked a time of 47.95 seconds, which ranks sixth in Division III. Rychkov’s record-breaking performance also leads both the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region in the event.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
BRADEN PAULMENN • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick
Paulmenn claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after a strong showing in two throwing events at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore recorded a mark of 15.38 meters in the shot put (third place) and 13.98 meters in the weight throw (fourth place). His weight throw mark ranks third in the NJAC and 10th in the Metro Region. Paulmenn also owns the second-best shot put mark in the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region and is 26th in Division III.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
VICTOR AKINBOBOYE • The College of New Jersey
Freshman • Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty
Akinboboye was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after clocking a time of 35.54 seconds in the 300 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The freshman’s performance ranks 18th in Division III and establishes him as one of the top first-year sprinters in the conference.
Sports
Oldani Named Week 1 MPSF Defensive Player of the Week – BYU Athletics – Official Athletics Website
Oldani had a match-high and career-high 10 digs in BYU’s season opener Friday night in Provo. He added another three digs on Saturday. Oldani also had five blocks over the two matches, as the Cougars started the season 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season.
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