Samantha Wunsch surpassed double digits with 12 kills and 17.5 attacking points during Texas State volleyball’s (12-11, 7-5 SBC) dominant 3-0 sweep on Saturday against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (14-9, 6-6 SBC) at the Southern Miss Wellness Center in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Not only did the Bobcats sweep the day, but also the full weekend with the Golden Eagles following a 3-1 victory previously on Halloween night.
The Golden Eagles started the day hungry for redemption in set one, holding a close score with Texas State. Southern Miss recorded a total of nine kills, displaying a competitive offense, but came up short as the Bobcats clinched the first set 25-23.
Both squads continued with strong offenses in set two, though the Bobcats began to separate themselves halfway into the set by capitalizing on the Golden Eagles’ coming up short in their defensive abilities, taking advantage of all scoring opportunities.
Texas State worked throughout the match to capitalize on their physical advantage in the game as Southern Miss struggled to compete at the net, taking a 25-20 victory in the second set and finding themselves just one point away from a sweep.
The Bobcats came out assertive in set three, kicking things off with a five-point scoring streak, hardly allowing the Golden Eagles to get a hand in the set as they closed set three and ultimately the game out for a final score of 25-11.
In the big picture of the match, Southern Miss created an advantage for the Bobcats through conceding many errors and totaling 24 attacking errors versus Texas State’s 16.
The Bobcats also found a hand up with a strong day of serving, slamming seven aces throughout the day, while the Golden Eagles only managed one.
All sides of the Texas State court came to play by outnumbering Southern Miss in kills (41-49), digs (46-42) and blocks (15-2). Jade Defraeye and Baily Hanner made an important presence on the net and led the Bobcats in blocks.
Hanner also excelled on the attack, securing a .500 hitting percentage and seven kills.
The Bobcats earned their fourth consecutive victory in what was a key game in conference play, with Texas State now holding the No.3 spot in the Sun Belt West Division just three weeks away from the conference tournament.
Texas State returns home to play Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, at Strahan Arena. The match will also be available to stream on ESPN+.
