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The University of Texas at Austin Athletics No. 9 Volleyball falls to No. 8 SMU in five sets 09.09.2026 | Volleyball Torrey Stafford and Cari Spears lead Texas with 18 kills apiece in five-set battle. DALLAS – No. 9 Texas Volleyball fell to No. 8 SMU, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 26-28, 15-10, on Wednesday night at Moody Coliseum in the Longhorns' first true road match of the season. Texas (3-4) battled back from a 2-1 deficit to force a decisive fifth set, but SMU (5-1) pulled away early in the final frame to secure the victory. The match marked the Longhorns' second consecutive Top 10 matchup and third in their last four matches, while SMU became the sixth ranked opponent Texas has faced this season. Torrey Stafford and Cari Spears led the Longhorns with 18 kills apiece. Spears' 18 kills marked a career high, while Henley Anderson added a career-best 15 kills. Rella Binney recorded her third double-double of the season with 42 assists and 10 digs, with her 42 assists marking a career high. Spears added nine digs and a team-high two aces, while Stafford finished with eight digs. SMU controlled the opening set for much of the frame after the teams traded points early. Texas stayed within striking distance late, cutting the deficit to 21-20 following an SMU attacking error, but the Mustangs scored four of the final five points to take the opening set, 25-21. Texas answered in the second set, taking control after a 10-10 tie. The Longhorns used a 10-4 run to build a 20-14 advantage, highlighted by three blocks during the stretch, and maintained the lead to even the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 victory. Stafford recorded four kills in the set, while Anderson and Spears each added three. The third set remained tight throughout, with neither team leading by more than two points until the final point. Texas tied the set at 21-21 on a solo block by Taylor Harvey, but SMU answered with three of the next four points before a Texas attacking error gave the Mustangs the 25-22 win and a 2-1 lead. Texas came out aggressively in the fourth set, racing to a 10-3 advantage behind three consecutive Anderson kills and continued strong attacking. The Longhorns held a 16-11 lead before SMU rallied to tie the set at 16-16. From there, the teams traded points through the finish. Texas took a 24-23 lead on a Spears kill, and after SMU tied the set at 24-24, the Longhorns twice moved within a point of taking the frame. Spears delivered three kills during the final stretch, and Stafford closed out the 28-26 victory with a kill to force a fifth set. The Mustangs jumped out to an 10-2 lead in the deciding set and extended its advantage to 12-5. Texas responded with four of the next five points, including kills from Anderson, Harvey and Stafford and an ace from Anja Kujundzic, to cut the deficit to 12-10. The Mustangs, however, scored the final three points to take the set, 15-10, and win the match 3-2. Texas returns home Sunday, Sept. 13, for another Top 10 matchup when the Longhorns host No. 6 Wisconsin at Moody Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m. CT, with the match airing live on ESPN.