Texas State volleyball (16-1 overall, 11-0 Sun Belt) will take on Arkansas State (8-5 overall and Sun Belt) in its last away series of the regular season in Jonesboro, Arkansas Nov. 6-7.
Games one and two will take place at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Nov. 6 and the final game will be played Nov. 7 at 1 p.m.
The Bobcats currently sit in first place in the West Division off a 13-game winning streak. The Red Wolves are fourth in the west after going 4-4 dating back to Oct. 16.
Texas State once again ranks No. 13 in the AVCA Coaches Poll but received 136 points this week compared to 128 in last week’s poll. The only other Sun Belt Conference team receiving votes was Coastal Carolina with 28 but remains unranked.
On Nov. 3, the Sun Belt announced Texas State’s junior setter Emily DeWalt as Setter of the Week, her third in a row and fifth this season. Last weekend against the University of Texas at Arlington, DeWalt averaged 12.00 assists per set, 3.17 digs per set, had eight kills and one ace. For the season she averages 11.59 assists per set, which is first in the Sun Belt and fifth in the NCAA.
Arkansas State’s junior libero Tatum Ticknor won Defensive Player of the Week, her second in a row. Ticknor’s 5.61 digs per set is third in the conference. Senior outside hitter Madison Brown won Offensive Player of the Week. Brown averages a conference-best 4.47 kills per set.
The Bobcats’ calling card this season has been offense. Texas State ranks first in the Sun Belt in hitting percentage (.263, ninth in NCAA), assists per set (13.68, fifth in NCAA) and kills per set (14.60, fourth in NCAA).
On defense, Texas State has also put up some great numbers. The Bobcats are third in opponent hitting percentage (.148), third in blocks per set (2.21), and fourth in digs per set (17.15).
For Arkansas State, defense has been its staple, ranking first in the conference in digs per set (19.16, second in NCAA) and blocks per set (3.08, third in NCAA). They also rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.143).
Offensively the Red Wolves do not rank quite as well, ranking fourth in kills per set (13.16), fifth in assists per set (11.86) and fifth in hitting percentage (.197).
Last week, Texas State swept UTA 2-0 (3-0, 3-0) in game one. The Lady Mavericks never really had a chance in either match. In game one, Texas State won 25-17, 25-18 and 25-20. Junior middle blocker Jillian Slaughter recorded a .476 hitting percentage, her season-high, and 10 kills. DeWalt recorded her 11th double-double of the year with 37 assists and 11 digs.
In game two, the Bobcats won 25-19, 25-14 and 25-21. The team had a season-high eight solo blocks as a team, including a career-high four solo blocks from junior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald.
Game one starts at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6 at the First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro, Arkansas.