When players on the Texas volleyball team report for duty on Monday, one more newcomer will need to introduce herself.
All-American middle blocker Kayla Caffey took to Instagram on Friday to announce that she will transfer to Texas. This past season, Caffey earned a second-team nod on the AVCA’s All-American team.
During the 2021 season, the six-foot Caffey hit .363 while averaging 2.41 kills and 1.11 blocks per set for a Nebraska team that reached the NCAA’s championship match. In Nebraska’s four-set win over Texas in the Elite Eight round, Caffey contributed seven kills and four blocks.
More: Nebraska’s Keonilei Akana becomes the fifth transfer to join the Texas volleyball team
The 2022 volleyball season will be Caffey’s seventh at the collegiate level. She spent four years at Missouri and two seasons at Nebraska. Caffey redshirted in 2016 and received a medical redshirt in 2018. All NCAA athletes received a blanket waiver for a year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic.
More: Nalani Iosia enters NCAA transfer portal after two years of playing volleyball at Texas
After the NCAA approved Caffey’s rare request to play a seventh season, she was informed that a scholarship was not available for her at Nebraska. She then entered the transfer portal. In the aftermath of that decision, Nebraska coach John Cook had to issue a clarification for the previous comments he had made about Caffey’s departure.
Caffey’s transfer to Texas caps a busy offseason for the Longhorns. Caffey and libero Zoe Fleck, who earned third-team All-American honors last season, are two of the six transfers who chose to continue their collegiate careers in Austin. Caffey, Fleck, outside hitter Madisen Skinner, who previously won a national title at Kentucky, setter Jenna Ewert (Colorado), defensive specialist Keonilei Akana (Nebraska) and middle blocker Bella Bergmark (Cal) will join five true freshmen as the team’s newcomers.
Texas also added David Hunt to its coaching staff. Legendary volleyball player Jordan Larson will serve as a volunteer assistant coach this season.
Over the past few months, the Longhorns have also had to erase some names from their roster. All-American middle blocker Brionne Butler graduated, All-American outside hitter Skylar Fields transferred and All-American setter Jhenna Gabriel retired. Defensive specialists Sydney Petersen (Northern Iowa) and Nalani Iosia (Michigan State), setter Naomi Cabello (North Carolina State) and outside hitter Madison Williams (North Carolina State) also found new places to play volleyball
