Bobcat volleyball clinched a tournament title and extended their win streak to five matches after going undefeated in the annual Creeds & Crests Classic tournament at home this weekend.
The ‘Cats went 3-0 in the tournament, putting their record at 8-5 as they head into conference play next weekend.
The Bobcats took the Creeds and Crests crown after defeating the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Saturday in three straight sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-17).
The win came after another dominating sweep against George Washington on Friday (25-13, 25-17, 25-12).
Sophomore setter Emily DeWalt showed her versatility with 31 assists, matching her season-high of three aces, recording four digs and logging three blocks. Junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott had a team-high of four blocks and added seven kills in the sweep, while senior Cheyenne Huskey paced the team with 13 kills against the Colonials.
The team made the win due to their strong offensive performance and all-around consistency, head coach Karen Chisum said.
“We had our best performance of the season offensively and I thought we played pretty good defense too,” Chisum said. “This game helped us recognize that when we don’t have silly errors, we are going to be very good.”
The Bobcats opened the weekend with a tougher win against I-35 rival UTSA, taking the match in four sets (25-21, 24-26, 25-21, 25-20). Freshman outside hitter Lauren Teske led the way with 13 kills while sophomore Kenedi Rutherford and Huskey joined her in double-digit kills with 11 and 10 respectively. The match ended a three-match losing streak at home.
The tournament continued the ‘Cats’ impressive offensive performance, which the team has been working to fix since a few ruts early in the season, Rutherford said.
“I think in practice just going hard and working on connection with the setters,” Rutherford said. “We just do reps after reps, always looking for another dub.”
The wins earned Texas State three conference honors. Huskey was given the tournament’s MVP award with an average of 3.20 kills per set and eight aces, while Scott and DeWalt also joined Huskey on the Creeds & Crests Classic All-Tournament Team. Scott averaged 3.00 kills per set and led with 13 total blocks, while DeWalt averaged 11.4 assists and 2.00 digs per set along with eight kills, five aces, and four blocks.
Team camraderie and a balanced team led to the tournament success, Huskey said.
“The one thing that keeps us together is our team chemistry,” Huskey said. “The coaches are really big on team chemistry and when we need someone to come in and make some plays, they are ready to do that.”
The ‘Cats are on solid ground approaching their final nonconference test before coming into Sun Belt play, Chisum said.
“I am pleased with our play this weekend and glad to be here at Strahan Arena,” Chisum said. “Some would say we got off to a rocky start, but I scheduled some tough teams at the beginning and we still have a big match with No. 5 Baylor coming up. But right now, having a five-match winning streak boosts the team’s confidence as we enter the next phase of the season.”
Texas State will travel north of I-35 to take on No. 5 Baylor at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Ferrell Center before returning home Thursday to open the Sun Belt Conference schedule with a 6:30 p.m. match vs. Louisiana.
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