Despite a slow start, the Texas State volleyball team found its footing and got back in the win column with a series sweep over the University of Louisiana-Monroe this weekend at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, Louisiana.
Game one
ULM came out hot in set one, limiting the Bobcats to nine kills. The Warhawks took advantage of the Bobcats’ lack of kills and made quick work of Texas State in the first set, winning 25-15.
Texas State flipped a switch in the second set, reversing roles and limiting ULM to only 11 kills, six less than the Bobcats’ 17. Texas State’s 17 kills, combined with only three errors, allowed the Bobcats to lead for the entirety of the second set, winning 25-16 and knotting the match at one set a piece.
What initially looked like a third-set runaway for ULM quickly became an improbable comeback for Texas State. Finding themselves down in the set 16-9, the Bobcats found an extra gear and rattled off a 10-0 run to completely reverse the momentum and take a 19-16 lead. From there, Texas State held off ULM to win set three 25-22.
With all the momentum on Texas State’s side after the third-set comeback, the Bobcats continued in set four. Out-killing ULM 17-5, Texas State dominated set four all the way through en route to a 25-13 score, claiming the match victory over the Warhawks.
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Samantha Wunsch led both sides with 19 kills, while fifth-year setter Ryann Torres led both sides in assists with 41. Wunsch and Torres continued to be pivotal to the Bobcats’ success this season.
Game two
Texas State began set one up 3-1 and then went on a seven-point run, giving the Warhawks a deficit too large to overcome. The offensive attack from the Bobcats was too much for ULM to handle, as they totaled 16 kills in the set. ULM had a whopping hitting percentage of 0.037 and failed to reach double digits in the set, as the Bobcats won 25-9.
Fifth-year senior setter Ryann Torres continued her prime play on the court, totaling 14 of her 40 assists in the second set. In a much more competitive set full of ties and lead changes, ULM had a much more successful offensive attack, totaling 12 kills. Unfortunately for the Warhawks, errors continued to hurt them with seven in the set, giving Texas State the edge to take set two 25-22.
Set three, much like set one, was all Bobcats. Things could have gone better for the Warhawks, but senior libero Alyssa Ortega made multiple impressive digs to keep rallies alive, giving Texas State the edge. Wunsch totaled nine kills to complete the sweep, allowing Texas State to win the match 3-0 in a 25-12 set three victory.
The Bobcats are now 7-3 in Sun Belt play and sit in third place in the West Division. Their next matchup will be against fourth-place Southern Mississippi, who are coming off a series it split at home against Old Dominion. For Southern Miss, a sweep in the upcoming series against Texas State would make for a tie between the two in the West Division.
The Bobcats’ series against Southern Miss will begin Friday, Nov. 1, at Strahan Arena, followed by game two on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Sun Belt series will be available to stream on ESPN+.
