A winning streak dating back to 2012 was snapped on Saturday when Texas was swept by OU at Gregory Gym.
AUSTIN, Texas -- No. 2 Texas (15-1, 7-1 Big 12) fell to Oklahoma, 3-0 (26-24, 26-24, 26-24), Saturday evening in front of an announced attendance of 4,402, the highest in Gregory Gym's current configuration, topping the previous record of 4,392 vs. Baylor on Nov. 30, 2013.
The loss snapped a 34-match home winning streak and a 44-match Big 12 home winning streak. Both were program records. It was also the first time Texas was swept at home since facing No. 5 Illinois on Sept. 3, 2010, a streak of 63 matches.
Three-time All-American senior Haley Eckerman led the Longhorns with 10 kills and two blocks, while two-time All-American senior Khat Bell chipped in nine kills and six blocks and All-American sophomore Chiaka Ogbogu added eight kills and six blocks.
In the first set, Texas came out swinging with four kills, including three from Eckerman, to build a 5-2 lead. Texas maintained its lead until a 4-1 run by Oklahoma (15-6, 6-2 Big 12) forced the Longhorns to call a timeout with the score knotted at 19. An attack error from Eckerman allowed Oklahoma to take its first lead of the set at 21-20, but Texas regained the lead with back-to-back kills. The match continued back-and-forth until two Oklahoma kills put the first set away, 26-24. Although Texas had a .400 kill percentage and held the Sooners to a .250 percentage, the Horns recorded seven service errors.
After losing the first set of the season at home, Texas built an early 5-1 lead, but a 5-0 Oklahoma run tied the score at 11. UT did not regain the lead until two kills and a service ace put the Horns up 19-18. After back-and-forth play, Texas recorded three kills to build a 24-22 lead, but Oklahoma would respond with its own 4-0 run to close out the second set, 26-24. The set saw nine ties and seven lead changes.
After the intermission, Oklahoma started out strong with an early 5-1 lead, but Molly McCage's three kills led Texas to tie it up for the first time of the set at nine. The Sooners had their biggest lead of the set at 19-15, before a 5-2 run by Texas forced a timeout. Oklahoma would win two quick points after the timeout, but three points from the Longhorns tied it up at 23-23. However the Sooners put the match away, led by two kills from Madison Ward to close out the set, 26-24.
Kierra Holst led the Sooners with 16 kills and two service aces
