Texas State volleyball came out of its first Sun Belt doubleheader with two straight sweeps, defeating the University of Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-14) on Sept. 25 at Strahan Arena.
The Bobcats’ home winning streak in Sun Belt play extended to 11 consecutive matches as they reached a 7-1 season record.
After a back-and-forth beginning, the Bobcats took control of set one and managed a game-high .444 hitting percentage, launching an offensive assault with 18 kills to clinch the set 25-14.
The ‘Cats kicked off the second set with an ace by junior setter Emily DeWalt but were unable to keep a steady lead for the first several points. After tying 7-7, the Bobcats eventually found their footing and began to pull away, keeping a lead for the latter part of the set. Four kills by sophomore outside hitter Lauren Teske and a pair of blocks by the Bobcat front line brought the ‘Cats to a second victory as they took the second set 25-16.
Despite starting the match with four unanswered points, the Warhawks once again fell behind as Texas State regained control, going on a 5-0 run to further distance their lead and secure the match win with a 25-14 final set.
The match saw new and familiar faces back on the court. Senior setter Brooke Johnson notched 14 digs in her second week back from an early-season injury, while true freshman setter Ryann Torres reached a career-high ten assists in her first-ever collegiate match.
Torres, who landed a sneaky dunk in her second play of the game, said that she was confident going into the match because she’s already comfortable with her teammates.
“I’ve been making great relationships with the team already, and Emily’s a great role model for me, so it just felt natural,” Torres said. “I think I had a good amount of confidence for my first time being in the game.”
The ‘Cats pulled ahead both offensively and defensively in the match, forcing ULM to a negative (-.010) hitting percentage while landing a .258 percentage of their own. Texas State led the Warhawks in kills (38-24), assists (32-23), blocks (8-5), aces (5-3) and digs (52-42). Teske brought in a game-high 12 kills, while DeWalt led both teams with 16 assists.
The win came after an early Bobcat sweep over the Warhawks on Sept. 20 morning (25-13, 25-16, 25-18).
Texas State led in nearly every statistical category, with a season-high .317 hitting percentage compared to ULM’s .112. Texas State had 47 kills to 27 by ULM, and the team led 58-33 in digs.
Fitzgerald and sophomore outside hitter Caitlan Buettner led all players with 12 kills each, and both Fitzgerald (.579) and Buettner (.524) set career-highs in hitting percentage. DeWalt reached her first conference double-double of the season, leading the match with 35 assists and chipping in 11 digs. Junior libero Kayla Granado led all players with 13 digs.
Head Coach Sean Huiet said the team is glad to have started conference play.
“I thought that was a great team win,” Huiet said. “We got a lot of kids in today in both matches, and we’re just excited to have two wins in the Sun Belt and keep preaching that we’re going to get better every match.”
Every series in Sun Belt play will include 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday matches as well as 1 p.m. Saturday games, meaning the team will have to adjust to quick turnarounds.
“Three matches in 28 hours is a lot,” Huiet said. “That’s why you see us trying to get a lot of people in the match so we can be ready down the road. We’re preaching that we’re going to take care of our bodies, get home and get rest, and we’re just going to see how it goes.”
The Bobcats will have one final matchup with ULM as they head back to Strahan Arena for the third game of the series at 1 p.m. on Sept. 26.