AUSTIN, Texas — No. 9 BYU women’s volleyball took the opening set before eventually falling in four at No. 10 Texas (25-13, 20-25, 15-25, 20-25) at Gregory Gym on Thursday night.
The Cougars (13-2, 2-1 Big 12) hit .185 to the Longhorns’ .227 in the program’s first road match as members of the Big 12. Texas had two more (eight to six) aces than BYU, and also out-blocked the Cougars, 11.5 to six.
Outside hitter Erin Livingston led all hitters with 16 kills. Opposite hitter Kate Prior added 11, tying a career-high, while middle blocker Whitney McEwan-Llarenas had seven kills to go along with two aces, also tying a career-high.
Setter Whitney Bower dished out 35 assists and also had a team-leading three service aces. Liberos Kamaile Hiapo and Aria McComber led the way with 17 and 11 digs, respectively. Middle blocker Mia Lee finished with five total blocks.
Set 1
Down 2-0 early, a pair of McEwan-Llarenas service aces fueled a 4-0 BYU run. A Livingston ace and two Texas errors made it three-straight for the Cougars, and Texas took a timeout down 8-4.
Another Longhorn error, overpass kill by Prior, two double blocks and a Claire Little kill had BYU on an 8-0 run, forcing Texas’ second timeout in front 13-4. Another double block and kills from Little and Lee made it a 12-0 run for the Cougars, and they went in front 17-4.
Kills from Little and Prior to go along with a trio by McEwan-Llarenas made it 23-7, but the Longhorns took six of the next seven before BYU took a timeout. Livingston quickly took care of business, landing a kill off the block to earn a 25-13 opening set win for the Cougars.
Set 2
BYU got a kill from Lee and two by Prior as the two teams went back-and-forth to start the second. Quick hitter and slide kills for McEwan-Llarenas paced the Cougars through a 9-9 tie, but BYU called timeout down two, at 11-9.
Two Livingston kills and a Whitney Bower ace tied the frame at 13, and both Prior and Eden Bower scored as the teams began trading points. Texas took a 19-17 lead, and the Cougars took their second timeout.
BYU got two kills from Livingston and another slide from McEwan-Llarenas, but Texas took six of the final nine points of the set to even the match at one, 25-20.
Set 3
Responding to a 3-1 deficit, the Cougars scored four-straight, highlighted by a Whitney Bower joust at the net, but the Longhorns went on a 5-0 run to go back in front, 8-5, forcing a BYU timeout.
Livingston, Lee and Prior each recorded kills, but trailing 13-8, the Cougars took their second timeout. Stopping a 7-0 Texas run, a Whitney Bower dump kill made it 17-19, Longhorns.
With BYU on a 3-0 run after a Whitney Bower dump kill and ace sandwiched by a Prior-Lee double block, Texas took a timeout leading 20-14. Prior scored to keep the Cougars alive, but the Longhorns would take three of six to close the set, 25-15.
Set 4
Two Prior kills, one each from Little and Livingston, and pair of kills by Whitney Bower, one a dump and the other an overpass, helped BYU stay alive as it took a timeout trailing 10-6 in the fourth.
Livingston went cross-court out of the timeout, and kills from Lee and Little cut the deficit to two, but consecutive points from Texas forced the Cougars to call their second timeout down 15-11.
A kill by Prior and two more from Livingston made it three-straight for BYU, and the Longhorns called timeout up 18-15. Another pair of Livingston kills and two Texas errors had the Cougars within one, at 20-19, and the Longhorns took their second timeout.
Prior scored off the block, but Texas took five of the last six points to take the match, 25-20.
Up Next
BYU and Texas will face off again on Friday night at 7 p.m. CDT. The match will be streamed on the Longhorn Network.