2026 UT VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

The Texas Longhorns women’s volleyball team heads into the 2025 season with a
superb mix of transition and promise, reshaping its identity following the graduation of core
veterans and the addition of high-profile transfers.

Longtime head coach Jerritt Elliott, now entering his 25th season in Austin, is once
again tasked with blending new talent into a winning culture. This year, however, marks a
significant turning point: not only did the team lose All-Americans, such as outside hitter
Madisen Skinner and middle blockers, Reagan Rutherford and Soah Franklin, but it also
saw the departure of assistant coach Erik Sullivan, who left to take over the U.S. Women’s
National Team. The transition has left gaps—mainly offensive production and leadership—
but Texas has reloaded with one of the most dynamic transfer classes in the NCAA.
Leading the newcomers is Torrey Stafford, a powerful outside hitter who transferred
from Pitt after two elite seasons. At Pitt, Stafford helped guide the Panthers to deep NCAA
Tournament runs with her athleticism and versatility at the net. In her debut season with
the Panthers, Stafford was a consistent force on the court, starting all 34 matches and
finishing second on the team in both total points (425.5) and kills (372). She posted a .273

hitting percentage, recorded double-digit kills in 22 matches, and achieved four double-
doubles, including two in the NCAA Tournament.

She is expected to immediate production and one of Texas’s star hitters. In the back
row, the Longhorns added Ramsey Gary, a junior Libero from Indiana who finished top-10 in
the Big Ten in digs per set last season. Gary does not just bring skill to the Longhorns but
also a fiery competitiveness that fits into Elliot’s defensive system. Veteran Libero from
VCU, Anja Kujundzic, will provide the longhorns with consistency and serve-receive efforts.
These additions, along with a top-tier freshman class that includes Abby Vander Wal, Addy
Gaido, Callie Krueger, and Macaria Spears, ensure that the team will have depth across
numerous positions. Returning starters like setter Ella Swindle and libero Emma Halter will
be critical to the team’s leadership core, with Swindle being responsible for leading an
offense that will need to develop new identity.

The 2025 schedule reflects the high expectations placed on the program. After
opening the season at the Opening Spike Classic in Madison, Wisconsin—where the
Longhorns will face Creighton and Wisconsin—they’ll return home for a historic showdown
with Stanford on September 7.

With a mix of new faces, established stars, and a coaching staff focused on
continuity and evolution, the Longhorns are poised for another strong SEC campaign and a

potential deep NCAA Tournament run. The 2025 season may be one of transition, but in
Austin, the bar remains championship-level.

Amaria Fields – Covers sports for Texas Sports Monthly and Hook Em News. She played at Boston College and the University of Detroit Mercy, and Is a McKinney North alum where she hold several offensive records and scored over 1,900 career points. Ms. Fields also worked in NBA Player Development and with both the Mavericks and Celtics organizations.