Sun Aug 31 23:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text:

**Texas Volleyball Starts Season Strong, Sweeps Creighton in Dominating Performance**

MADISON, Wisc. – The No. 5 Texas Longhorns kicked off their 2025 volleyball season with a decisive 3-0 sweep of No. 12 Creighton at the Opening Spike Classic held at the Kohl Center on Friday night. The victory marks the 160th ranked win in the past 21 seasons for the Longhorns.

Junior transfer Torrey Stafford stole the show in her Texas debut, recording her first double-double as a Longhorn with an impressive 12 kills and 15 digs. Freshman players also made significant contributions, with Abby Vander Wal notching 10 kills and Cari Spears adding eight kills, seven digs, and two blocks. Sophomore Ayden Ames led the team at the net with five blocks to go along with four kills.

Texas’s strong blocking game proved to be a key factor in the win, holding Creighton to a .118 hitting percentage while the Longhorns hit .186 as a team.

The Longhorns started strong in the first set, securing a 25-21 victory behind strong offensive performances from Stafford, Spears, and Vander Wal. Set two saw Stafford take control with five kills, leading Texas to a 25-19 win while limiting Creighton’s attack. The third set proved to be the most challenging, with Creighton taking an early lead. But back-to-back aces from junior transfer Anja Kujundzic sparked a 6-0 run for Texas, eventually leading to a 26-24 set win and completing the sweep.

Texas will face No. 8 Wisconsin on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT in the final match of the Opening Spike Classic. The game will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

Read More