Texas women's college volleyball needed all 5 sets to escape Marquette on Monday night. The No. 2 Longhorns won the Texas vs Marquette clash 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 23-25, 15-8) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, closing out the 2026 AVCA First Serve event with a hard-fought finish.
Texas Volleyball Survives Marquette at 2026 AVCA First Serve
Marquette grabbed the season-opening showcase match's opening set 25-22 behind transfer Carson Tyler, who finished with 18 kills. Texas responded with back-to-back wins in sets 2 and 3, tightening defensively behind Nya Bunton's 7 blocks.
The Golden Eagles clawed back to force a decider before the Longhorns pulled away 15-8, hitting .529 in the fifth.
Torrey Stafford anchored the Texas attack with 19 kills and 12 digs. Cari Spears contributed 17 kills and 4 aces. Setter Rella Binney rounded out the effort with a career-high 36 assists. On Marquette's side, freshman setter Luanna Markus recorded 35 assists in her collegiate debut.
NCAA Volleyball Preseason Shakeup
The win pulls Texas's NCAA volleyball record even at 1-1 after a season-opening loss to No. 12 Arizona State, while Marquette falls to 0-1.
The matchup capped the final day of the 2026 AVCA First Serve, a four-da event featuring eight of the nation's top-ranked programs. Pittsburgh's 3-0 sweep of Xavier opened the afternoon slate before the Longhorns and Golden Eagles finished the day.
