Red River Rout
Previewing matches against OU and Ole Miss.
A month out from the start of the regular season means we are also now into the heart of the SEC conference schedule in our match previews. You knew the rivalry matches were coming eventually and we are starting strong with a look ahead at a face off against the land thieves from up north. If the differences in buzz right now surrounding the football teams holds true, we should already have the Golden Hat back in Austin come time for the October 19th volleyball match. It’ll be on the ladies then to keep the momentum going.
But before we really dive into how much OU still sucks regardless of the hour, it’s a good moment to provide some updates on the Longhorns who have been playing at the national level the last few weeks. In our last article, Josh shared that the U21 team - which includes Outside Hitter (OH) Abby Vander Wal, Libero/Defensive Specialist (L/DS) Ramsey Gary, and Middle Blocker (MB) Ayden Ames on its roster - had made it to the semifinals after sweeping through earlier rounds in the Pan American Cup in San Jose, Costa Rica.
I’m happy to report that the U21 ladies continued their hot streak and captured gold with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-13) sweep over Chile in the championship match. The US team swept all 5 opponents through the tournament, giving Texas’ young players on the roster some great experience against top tier opponents. That’ll earn 5 Hook ‘Ems from me (this is my new rating system for things - on a scale from 1 to 5 - and y’all are just gonna have to learn to like it).
The U23 squad has started its respective Pan American Cup in Leon, Mexico as well. They’ve swept their first three matches - however, Setter (S) Ella Swindle and Opposite Hitter (OPP) Devin Kahahawai are only listed as alternates for this tournament, and L Emma Halter is not participating in the tournament at all. Still, as Josh discussed last week, Ella and Devin had both been in Anaheim with the team getting valuable practice in, which we love to see from some of our big players heading into the season.
Former Longhorns such as Madisen Skinner and Logan Eggleston will not have a chance to play in the main Pan Am tournament, as USA Volleyball opted to pull out of it citing safety concerns over the host city of Colima, Mexico. Perhaps what is most disappointing about this is how clear it is that this squad needs more time playing together under Coach Sullivan. I would’ve loved a chance to see the national team get a rebound after their disappointing performance against Italy in the Volleyball Nations League quarterfinal just a few weeks ago.
That wraps up news regarding players for the month of July. Texas was in the gym for day one of Fall practice yesterday (July 31st) according to the Texas Volleyball account on socials. The squad has a scrimmage against Utah on August 15th before the Orange and White game eight days later on the 23rd. We’ll be wrapping up our season previews over that time while also providing some nuggets of updates where we can. Then it’ll be off to the races on the 29th against Creighton. Josh and I have been cooking up plans for how we’ll handle the in-season reporting, so stay tuned!
But first, let’s talk about how Texas plans to keep the Sooners spiraling - and what the Horns will bring against Ole Miss.
Oklahoma Sooners
Match Date: October 19, 2025
Match Location: Gregory Gymnasium - Austin, TX
2024 Record: 15-11 (8-8, Southeastern)
NCAA Tournament: #8 Seed, Lost to #1 Pittsburgh in the Second Round
Postseason Rank: N/A
Result v Texas: W, 3-2 (25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 25-17, 15-9)
L, 0-3 (14-25, 15-25, 19-25)
There’s nothing I love more than a good beatdown of the Sooners, and Texas delivered last season with a resounding three set sweep that felt more like a scrimmage against the junior varsity squad than a true in-conference rivalry match (another 5 Hook ‘Ems for that one). Texas hit a resounding .396 and played well on all fronts. Not a bad outcome in front of 3,325 fans wearing that ugly crimson and cream up in Norman - perhaps that name they use for their off-white color is appropriate considering they got, well, creamed.
Of course, just 19 days before, the Sooners came down to Gregory and took down the Longhorns in Gregory in a five set match that saw Texas come up lifeless in the final two sets. We give that match a sad, single Hook ‘Em.
Pin hitter Alexis Shelton was probably the player with the most life out of the Sooner squad in the Sooner’s loss, and she returns for her senior season this year. She was a first team All-SEC selection last season and will surely be hoping to close out her tenure in Norman with a win against the Longhorns.
Fellow OH Kamille Gibson will be looking to take a leap forward in her sophomore year of play. She got five starts last year and was fairly solid at the net with 47 blocks over her 25 total appearances. Fellow sophomore L/DS Whitney Wallace is probably the bet for the main starter on the backline unless junior Dionii Fraga - who transferred in from Fresno State after strong campaigns in 2023 and 2024 there - can slide in and find success in the SEC.
Fraga is just one of many transfers the Sooners brought in this year, leaving a bunch of unknowns on how the final roster will shake out in terms of starters and rotations. Senior OH Emoni Bush was brought in from Washington, where she earned All–Big 10 Second Team honors last season. Senior MB Kenadie Patterson came in from Pepperdine. Sophomore S Harper Hall joined from UCSB. Combine this with five incoming freshmen on the squad, and you can quickly see that this is going to be a team without a lot of playing time together.
The MB position might be the most consistent for the Sooners from last season. Juniors Hannah Pfiffner and Kelli Jo Burgess - plus sophomore Carli Butler - were all in Oklahoma gear last season. Thankfully, none of them have had particularly outstanding seasons and play more like depth pieces than stars to anchor your defense around.
OU added assistant coach Maddie Beal to the staff in January and she does bring some impressive experience with her. Still, it’ll be a tall order for the coaching staff to get this piece meal roster up to par with a Longhorns squad that has a lot of playing time together and a history of successfully charting player churn.
Perhaps it’d be best for the Sooners to stay on their side of the Red River and not bother making the trip down to Austin at all. After all: no matter what time you’re reading this article, OU still sucks.
Mississippi Rebels
Match Date: October 24, 2025
Match Location: Gillom Athletics Performance Center - Oxford, MS
2024 Record: 18-12 (7-9, Southeastern)
NCAA Tournament: Not Seeded, Lost to #2 Creighton in the Second Round
Postseason Rank: N/A
Result v Texas: L, 2-3 (28-26, 25-27, 23-25, 25-21,15-17)
Between previewing Alabama and Arkansas last week and this week’s offerings, we’re really trudging through the basement of American states, aren’t we?
Ole Miss was definitely one of Texas’s more challenging matchups last season, especially considering that the five set nailbiter that Texas just escaped happened at home in Gregory. This season the Longhorn squad has the unfortunate fate of travelling back to Mississippi a second time (after their October 5th matchup at Mississippi State) and I’m starting to feel the same concerns USA Volleyball feels about Colima, Mexico.
Despite a losing conference record in 2024, Ole Miss was able to make the NCAA tournament and upset a #7 seeded Florida State three sets to two in the opening round before falling to a sweep by Creighton in the second - just before the Blue Jays took down Texas the next match. Outside of a late October loss to rival Mississippi State in Starkville, the Rebels beat who they were expected to and were able to hang in matches with some higher level competition such as Texas and Missouri.
Junior OH Nia Washington may have been the heart and soul of this squad. Unfortunately for the Rebels, she transferred to LSU this offseason. Senior L/DS Cammy Nieson looks to become an anchor of this squad now after recording a career-high 537 digs last season. She’ll be joined by fellow senior S Mokihana Tufono in providing the veteran presence on this team.
MB Jordyn Towns transferred in from Alabama after making 28 starts over two seasons there. The 6’6 junior will join 6’0 junior Tessa Jones in defensive duties at the net. The two will have big shoes to fill after the loss of Sasha Ratliff and Payton Brgoch to graduation. Ratliff had tallied an Ole Miss record in career blocks (507), block assists (405), and hitting percentage (.346).
OH Gabi Placide joined the Rebels out of Northern Colorado this summer to team up with fellow pin hitter junior Shayla Meyer in an effort to make up for the loss of Washington at that position. Shayla got 26 starts during her redshirt sophomore season in 2024 and could cause problems for opposing defenses, building on her 303 kills she amassed during that period.
Ole Miss has had some churn due to graduation and the portal in some key positions, and may need a full year to get some of their incoming freshmen to the point of making any real impact. I expect the Rebels to at best match their performance last season as a middle-of-the-pack SEC team. SEC preseason rankings has them at #10, behind Oklahoma at #7.
I think the Rebels could steal some matches in spots and perhaps outperform that ranking when the season is all said and done, but not by much. Texas should leave the state of Mississippi with two wins this season - and hopefully not have to return any time soon.
A clean sweep of Mississippi and a Red River rout? Now that’s how you roll into November.