Matchup of the year? No. 9 BYU takes on No. 10 Texas for a weekend doubleheader
No. 9 BYU women’s volleyball travels to Austin to play a pair of contests against No. 10 Texas Thursday and Friday. The matches will be televised on FS1 and the Longhorn Network.
Last week, the Cougars swept two ranked Big 12 teams in No. 20 Houston and No. 18 Baylor. BYU moved up to No. 9 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) rankings.
Both Erin Livingston and Whitney McEwan-Llarenas earned weekly Big 12 honors as offensive and defensive players of the week.
The reigning national champion Longhorns recently showed out against Big 12 opponent Oklahoma and swept them both games making their season record 7-3 overall.
BYU and Texas last met in 2019, with the Longhorns winning 3-1. BYU leads the series 10-9, but this will be a tough road game for the Cougars, as Texas has won 66-straight home matches in Big 12 play.
The Longhorns are ranked fifth nationally in average attendance, but the Cougars are ready for the challenge.
“I have heard really great things about playing (at Gregory Gym) and I am excited to play in that environment,” BYU opposite hitter Kate Prior said.
Players to Watch:
For the Longhorns, look out for Madisen Skinner, a junior from Katy, Texas. She is an outside hitter and was the Big 12 conference’s preseason player of the year. Against Oklahoma, she led the team in kills and attacks.
For the Cougars, pay attention to senior outside hitter Erin Livingston, the conference’s offensive player of the week with 25 kills last week and a .321 hit percentage. Look out for setter Whitney Bower as well, who surpassed the 4,000 career assists mark during the match against Baylor.
