Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Samantha Wunsch accumulated a team-leading 15 kills in 28 attempts as Texas State volleyball swept Troy University 3-0 in its 2024 home opener Friday night at Strahan Arena.
Friday was the Bobcats’ first home game of the season. They had been on the road since the season opener on Aug. 30.
“We’ve had a long, long trip away from home, and it’s been a lot of travel [and] a lot of stress on all of us,” Wunsch said. “I think we were all super excited coming into this weekend knowing we’re playing a good team, and being at home is incredible. The crowd tonight was incredible [and] had such a good atmosphere in our gym. That’s what we’ve been waiting for for so long.”
The Bobcats took an early 3-1 lead in set one, and no team led by more than two points until Troy went on a 4-0 run to take the lead 17-13.
Following the 4-0 Trojan run, the Bobcats marched back to tie the set 20-20. The back-and-forth play continued, bringing the score to 23-23 before back-to-back kills from Wunsch and fifth-year senior setter Ryann Torres, respectively, gave the Bobcats a 25-23 set one victory.
The Trojans opened set two strong, going up 3-0 and holding the lead until the Bobcats tied the set 13-13. The competing squads played at the same level before Texas State went on a 4-0 run to grab a 22-18 lead. Troy’s comeback attempt proved unsuccessful as the Bobcats claimed the set 25-20.
Set three brought another nail-biter for Bobcat fans to enjoy. The two teams battled to a 16-16 tie before Texas State took a 20-16 lead. Troy got within one point, trailing 20-21, but the Bobcats quickly shut down any hopes of a comeback, winning the set 25-21 and completing the sweep.
While the Bobcats won in sweep fashion, each set brought a quality challenge. Texas State Head Coach Sean Huiet said his team performed well in some aspects but could have been better in others.
“I thought our offense was where it needed to be,” Huiet said. “We wanted our serving and defense to be a little bit better, but we blocked well.”
Texas State will look to wrap up its two-game series against Troy with another victory on Saturday.
The second match between Texas State and Troy is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Strahan Arena. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
