Texas A&M ends Texas’ undefeated SEC record in thrilling Lone Star Showdown – The Daily Texan

There’s always something about rivalry battles that makes the stakes higher and the victories sweeter. The mood gripped Gregory Gymnasium on Wednesday as Texas A&M played in Texas territory for the second time as a Southeastern Conference opponent. What followed was well worth the anticipation.

In the first game between the two teams, Texas traveled to College Station and won 3-1 in the first SEC match of the season. This time the Aggies traveled to Austin, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. Ultimately, Texas A&M emerged victorious at 3-2, splitting the season record between the two teams at 1-1 and ending Texas’ undefeated SEC record.

The first set was as close as it can be in an even match. Both teams felt dominant at the net, scoring kills back and forth, with neither team able to make a significant run. Playing against themselves, the Aggies recorded six service errors that helped keep the set close and ultimately give the Longhorns a late lead of 26-25 and a win of 27-25. Junior Devin Kahahawai helped the team get their first win of the night. Kahahwai recorded three service aces, a pair of blocks and a kill in the first set.

Texas A&M was impressive at the net, which led to second-set dominance over the Longhorns. Texas eventually fell behind 15-8 and never recovered, losing the set 25-14. The Aggies recorded 11 kills and four blocks in the set.

The third and fourth movements seemed to repeat the pattern of the first two. In the fourth game, the Aggies ran away with the set again; Until a valiant effort from the Longhorns, led by five consecutive kills from senior Madisen Skinner, cut the deficit to one. The Aggies finally closed out the game and won the fourth set 25-21.

The script was revealed and the stage was set for a fifth and final set in the Lone Star Showdown. One side repeatedly took the lead and the other equalized it; neither Texas nor Texas A&M were able to gain any significant foothold. In the final moments of the set, the Longhorns faltered after an out-of-bounds transition and Texas lost 18-16.

“There was a period of time where we were out of system for a couple of games and I got some good swings… but there was a period of time where I just felt like we weren’t as balanced as we were in that past,” Skinner said.

This loss marks the end of a 79 home conference game winning streak for the Longhorns that has lasted since the team’s last home conference loss to Oklahoma in 2014. Texas is now 0-3 in five-set games this year.

“We just made too many mistakes at the end… we can’t do that, we have to play cleaner for longer periods of time,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said.

Texas remains atop the SEC with a conference record of 7-1. They now have to look forward to their next opponent when Missouri arrives at Gregory Gymnasium on Friday, November 1st. The game begins at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.