Texas volleyball vs Ole Miss game score: Longhorns sweep Rebels

Texas volleyball proved rest matters a lot more than any rust while routing Ole Miss in a quarterfinal contest Sunday at the SEC Volleyball Tournament in Savannah, Ga. 

The third-seeded Longhorns (22-2), who hadn’t played since a win over South Carolina in the regular-season finale a week ago, dispatched No. 14 Ole Miss (14-15) 25-11, 25-17, 25-8 in a match that lasted a little more than an hour. The Rebels were playing their third match in three days, and they did little to slow a Texas offense that had 41 kills and just three hitting errors on 80 swings while hitting a season-high .475.

MORE VOLLEYBALL: How can Texas, Texas A&M beat No. 1 seed Kentucky

Outside hitter Torrey Stafford (16 kills) and setter Ella Swindle (28 assists) led the Texas attack, and the Longhorns also got big contributions from outside hitter Cari Spears (11 kills), middle blocker Ayden Ames (five kills, three blocks) and Taylor Harvey (3 kills, 5 blocks).

Texas will face No. 2 Texas A&M in a SEC Tournament semifinal Monday. With a win, Texas will advance to Tuesday’s title match.

RELATED: What to know about the Longhorns at the SEC tournament

Read below for a replay and highlights from the Longhorns’ win in a quarterfinal matchup at the SEC tournament against the Ole Miss Rebels.

An offensive master class by Texas, and a big improvement at the net on defense. In a little over an hour, Texas dismantles the Rebels and will face Texas A&M tomorrow in an SEC Tournament semifinal. Texas hit a season-high .475 behind Torrey Stafford (16 kills) and setter Ella Swindle (28 assists), and the Longhorns tally nine blocks. Texas wins 3-0.

We can start looking at a rematch between Texas and the Aggies, right? Ole Miss looks out of gas while playing a third match in three days. Texas leads 2-0.

Relentless, surgical, methodical? How do you describe Torrey Stafford and the Longhorns right now? The attacker gets three quick kills and now has 14, and Ole Miss commits three quick errors under intense pressure from Texas. Time out, Rebels. Texas leads 2-0.

Ole Miss made a brief run, but the Longhorns settle down, lock in and seize a commanding 2-0 lead. They’re showing an offensive rhythm not seen since early October with a .500 hitting percentage and 21 assists from Ella Swindle. Torrey Stafford has 11 kills with one hitting error on 21 swings. Texas leads 2-0.

Ole Miss with signs of life. A block from Tessa Jones caps a 3-0 run by the Rebels, but a quick dump from Ella Swindle helps blunt the momentum. She’s crafty with that shot, Swindle. Texas leads 1-0.

At this point, is there any question that rest is better than rust? The Longhorns haven’t played in a week and look fresh as a Georgia peach. The Rebels are playing their third match in three days and have 10 hitting errors, which is 10 more than the Longhorns. Texas leads 1-0.

More of the same for Texas. Abby Vander Wal comes off the bench for one of her three kills, and the Longhorns have 20 kills without a hitting error. Texas leads 1-0.

The Longhorns with a show of force in the first set. Torrey Stafford leads Texas with eight kills, Ella Swindle had 12 assists, and Texas didn’t have a single hitting error on 28 swings.

Oh, my, Torrey Stafford. She’s playing like someone who’s already earned two all-American selections and will likely get a third after this season. The UT junior hammers a kill, follows with a block, and then smacks two more of her seven kills.

The outside hitter combination of Torrey Stafford and Cari Spears is off to a scorching start. They have six kills on a combined nine swings without a hitting error.

Three quick points from Texas OH Torry Stafford, and the Longhorns are off to a fast start.

Texas and Ole Miss will start their SEC Tournament quarterfinal contest at 6:25 p.m., and the winner will face Texas A&M Monday in a semifinal.

Second-seeded Texas A&M fended off a wild rally in the third set to beat Vanderbilt 3-0 in an SEC Tournament quarterfinal contest. The Commodores scored six straight points to tied the third set at 24-24, but the Aggies scored the final two points to advance to Monday’s semifinals.

 Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.