For six Bobcats, their final memory of the maroon and gold court will forever be marked by victory after Texas State volleyball (14-11, 9-5 SBC) battled through five sets with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (16-10, 8-6 SBC) to win 3-2 and complete the weekend sweep Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena.
The Bobcats secured a 2-0 weekend against the Chanticleers, improving their position to No. 3 in the Sun Belt West Division as they now sit on a six-match winning streak leading up to the final series of the regular season.
The victory marks a bittersweet milestone for six seniors, Maggie Walsh, Jade Defraeye, Samantha Wunsch, Nina Moorer, Alyssa Clark and Bailey Hanner, who competed on their home court for the last time.
Texas State started out decisively with a dominant set one, where they defeated Coastal Carolina by a landslide 25-12.
Unlike last night, however, the Chanticleers quickly returned to show they weren’t ready to load the bus any time soon, putting up a fight in set two and defeating the Bobcats 25-21.
With both teams looking to get a hand up in the third set, Coastal Carolina set the tone by going on a four-point streak out of the gate. Attack errors haunted the Bobcats in set three, as they were unable to maintain control and ultimately allowed the Chanticleers to earn their second set 25-21.
Coastal Carolina had the opportunity in the fourth set to split the weekend with Texas State; however, the Bobcats dug in to steal the fourth set 25-22, evening the set count once again and forcing the teams to a full five sets.
With momentum on the Bobcats’ side, Texas State forced a six-point gap early in the fifth game. Although the Chanticleers closed the gap and chased the Bobcats’ lead, Moorer put the match to rest with a heated kill, earning victory in the final set 15-12.
Across the box score, Texas State and Coastal competed closely, though in the end, the Bobcats’ ability to complete attacks provided a hand up over the Chanticleers.
Attacking highlights were spread across the Texas State roster with five players surpassing double digits in kills, including Wunsch and Moorer, who led the team with 13 each.
Defraeye continued to display her value at the net as the Bobcats’ leader in blocking, totaling nine on the day.
Only one weekend remains in the Sun Belt Conference before the conference tournament begins, where Texas State has an opportunity to become back-to-back champions before heading to the Pac-12 next summer.
The Bobcats’ next match will be against the SBC leader, James Madison University, at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13, in Hattiesburg, Virginia, with streaming available on ESPN+.
