Front-row hitters for Texas volleyball often get the spotlight for the team’s success, but senior libero Ramsey Gary proves games are won in the back row. With relentless defensive range, elite passing stats and a fierce competitive spirit, Gary has seamlessly stepped into the program’s defensive legacy.
“I just want to win,” Gary said. “Honestly, (in) anything I do, like eating, I want to be the first to be finished … school, I want to have the highest grade possible.”
Before Gary, Emma Halter was Texas’ libero. As a freshman, Halter helped the Longhorns reach a 2022 NCAA title run alongside Zoe Fleck, who was the starting libero that season. The defensive duo helped the Longhorns win the 2022 Championship before Halter went on to win the 2023 NCAA Championship as a starter after Fleck graduated.
During Halter’s senior year, Gary transferred from Indiana, where she was a two-time All-Big Ten Second Team (2023, 2024), AVCA Midwest All-Region Team (2024) and an AVCA Northeast All-Region Honorable Mention (2023) as a sophomore.
After Halter graduated, Gary naturally filled the position. A libero is much more than the player who wears the different-colored jersey on the court. A libero is the team’s best back-row defender, a vocal leader and a strong server.
This season, Gary recorded 34 digs against Arkansas on Oct. 9, tying Texas’s all-time single-match record of 34 digs, set in 1999, by Sandra Reboucas against Baylor.
“She’s just giving balls and ready for me to tram to get a kill,” senior outside hitter Torrey Stafford said. “Yeah, she’s a dog. That’s all I can say.”
During serve receive, Gary takes the majority of the court, positioning herself in line with the server so she can take the first contact so that hitters like Stafford can get in position to attack — not just in serve receive, but in defense where she digs attacks that are far from her base position at left back.
“She’s holding down our passing, she can dig any hard-driven ball,” head coach Jerritt Elliott said. “She keeps us well organized and (does) a really nice job for us.”
When Gary gets the first touch, she helps keep the Longhorns in system and gives the offense an advantage by creating more options with attackers.
Texas has struggled with serving this season and continues to struggle. In the most recent match-up against Texas A&M, the Longhorns committed 13 service errors.
However, Gary has been an outlier, with 14 service errors in the 69 sets she has played. She is averaging .20 service errors per set, proving she is a consistent server for the Longhorns. Gary is also averaging a 96% passing percentage.
Now, with the new five-for-five rule, Gary can return for a fifth year. If she decides not to, it will be interesting to see who leads the back row and wears the contrasting jersey for the Longhorns.
Whether that is digging difficult attacks, setting out-of-system balls, or serving under pressure, Gary’s success will be a key factor in the Longhorns’ post-season run this year.
