“Amazing night for the Texas Longhorns” puts defending champs back into NCAA semis

If it’s possible for the defending national champions to fly under the radar and still be one of the best teams in women’s volleyball, the Texas Longhorns found a way to accomplish it.

When the stakes ratcheted up, however, a proud program was more than up to the task.

The Big 12-champion Longhorns (26-4) will return to the NCAA Divisioon I Women’s Volleyball Championship national semifinals with a chance to wrangle back-to-back NCAA titles after taking down host Stanford (29-4) in four decidedly different sets (25-16, 15-25, 25-19, 25-22) Saturday night in the regional final.

In the third and fourth sets before a crowd of 4,312 at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, California, seventh-seeded Texas rose to championship heights behind two returning stars from its 2022 title team, outside hitter Madisen Skinner and middle blocker Asjia O’Neal. That followed a five-set nail-biter two nights before in the round of 16 against Tennessee.

“What an amazing night for the Texas Longhorns,” coach Jerritt Elliott said. “I’m just proud of this team, from where they started at the beginning of the year to get to this point after a tough Thursday and compete like this tonight.”

The deciding stanza was air-tight, and an ace by setter Kami Miner pulled Stanford even at 22. But Skinner, itching for a shot at a third NCAA title after also hoisting the trophy with Kentucky as a freshman in 2021, put the hammer down with two tremendous cross-court kills, the second coming in transition after All-American Kendall Kipp was dug.

O’Neal closed the show with a rejection against Kipp, the Pac-12 player of the year, on a “trouble ball” created by a darting floater from serving specialist Keonilei Akana, who had clinched the title last season with an ace on championship point against Louisville.

The Longhorns will play Wisconsin (29-3) on Thursday night in Tampa. Wisconsin of the Big Ten, which won the 2021 national title, advanced by beating Oregon, which finished second in the Pac-12 to Stanford.

Skinner, a…