AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas volleyball coach Jerritt Elliott said something big was in the works for 2025. Now it’s official — the Longhorns will play a match in Moody Center for the first time against another national powerhouse.
Texas will play Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 7, in the first “home” match of the season. The match comes after a big opening weekend for the Longhorns in Madison, Wisconsin, for the Opening Spike Classic against Wisconsin and Creighton.
A match time and ticket information will be announced later. Season ticket holders can buy tickets to the match when they renew, the university said.
Moody Center has more than twice the capacity of the Longhorns’ typical home, Gregory Gym, and with the current demand to see one of the best college volleyball teams in the country play, Elliott is confident that all 10,000 seats in the arena will be full.
“We know how incredible our fans are in Gregory Gym, now it’s time to bring that same energy across the street,” he said. “We’re hosting a fantastic opponent; it will be a truly special day, and we know this will draw the attention of the NCAA world. Sports fans everywhere should mark the calendar for this one.”
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Elliott mentioned the possibility of playing a match or two in Moody Center during a news conference in September, saying he wanted to host either the Cardinal or Wisconsin. He’s getting the nine-time NCAA champs to come to Austin.
“We have a great opportunity to bring volleyball to the biggest stage in Austin and what an awesome place to do it at the Moody Center,” he said. “We can’t wait to see Longhorn Nation on September 7 and put a huge spotlight on our great sport.”
Playing matches in Gregory Gym is great, and Elliott doesn’t want to stop doing that. The venue’s official capacity is listed at 4,000, but more than 5,000 crammed in for an NCAA Tournament match against Ohio State in 2022 to set the venue record. With a season ticket waitlist that reads like a medieval scroll, the volleyball program is well-positioned to draw a huge crowd.
“My phone is blowing up a lot more now for people trying to find tickets and wanting to be part of the game,” Elliott said in September. “Basically, every one of our games is sold out, and now there’s a supply and demand issue.”
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said the match will be “epic.”
“Our phenomenal fans pack The Greg for every match. They are the absolute best, and it’s an electric environment,” Del Conte said. “I know they will be excited to be a part of this historic match at Moody Center and bring their same patented passion and energy.”
Texas and Stanford will face off for the 37th time, and the teams have split their last six matches. Combined, the programs have 14 national championships and 38 national semifinal appearances.
