Texas State volleyball hosted and swept the University of Southern Mississippi 2-0 this weekend at Strahan Arena. 

Match One 

Junior middle blocker Jade Defraeye stuffed the stat sheet with nine kills, seven blocks and a hitting percentage of .600 as Texas State volleyball swept Southern Miss 3-0 in match one. 

“I was very focused on my blocking because I know my blocking is my biggest strength,” Defraeye said. “I’m going to do what I’m supposed to do for the team tomorrow and try to be better than tonight.”

The Bobcats started hot with an 8-1 lead in set one. After trading points, Texas State went on a six-point run behind the serves of junior middle blocker Bailey Hanner. The Golden Eagles got streaky towards the end of the set but Hanner would get a kill to finish the set.

Hanner put an end to all three sets tonight with a kill.

Errors got in the way of Southern Miss in the second set as the team committed eight. Neither team took charge early in the set, but a seven-point run pushed Texas State ahead 15-4 behind the serving hand of Hanner once again. To conclude the second set, the Bobcats would go for another seven-point run, highlighted by three kills from redshirt sophomore outside hitter Samantha Wunsch.

Wunsch finished the night with a team-high 14 kills.

The third and final set was the only one consisting of ties and lead changes with five and two, respectively. The offensive attack was key in the last set as both teams combined for 34 kills. Texas State found themselves behind 13-18, but Southern Miss committed four errors to suffer the lead, allowing the Bobcats to complete the sweep.

Texas State Head Coach Sean Hueit said winning rallies would be key to gaining momentum throughout the match, considering Southern Miss leads the conference in digs per set with 19.33.

This win keeps the Bobcats’ hopes alive for a chance at first place in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference.

“Texas State is known for playing our best volleyball in November,” said Huiet. “We don’t want to be saying what if, we’re going to take care of everything we can control on our side.”

Match Two

Fifth-year setter Ryann Torres led the columns in hitting and assists with 38 assists and a hitting percentage of .750 to help the Texas State Bobcats sweep Southern Miss 3-0 on Saturday, Nov. 2, to claim the series win over the Golden Eagles. 

Torres also reached 2000 career assists in Friday’s game.

“I feel very proud of myself, and with all the hours and blood, sweat, and tears I put into it, it feels really good to have hit that milestone,” Torres said. 

The Bobcats took a commanding early lead in set one with a score of 17-5, with help from Freshman outside-hitter M.J. McCurdy, who had four kills back to back with assists from Torres. 

Junior outside hitter Maggie Walsh, got a kill to seal the set at 25-11 for the Bobcats. 

“Ryann and I’s connection grew in the summer, and it only got better from there,” McCurdy said. “I think her being a fifth-year and me being a freshman, some people might think it’s a little awkward, but I think it’s been really good on the court.” 

In the second match, McCurdy came in hot, starting the game with a kill. Errors played a big part in this game, with a total of 19 combined from both teams. The Bobcats came out with the win, 25-18. 

The third set started off going back and forth between the two teams. The Golden Eagles eventually took a 16-14 lead, but the Bobcats quickly fought back, scoring eight points in a row, with three being back-to-back aces by redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Alyssa Clark. The Bobcats won the set 25-19 after a kill from Torres to clinch the match and series sweep.

The win keeps the Bobcats third in the Sun Belt West standings. Huitt said he was excited about how the Bobcats have played the last two days and it’s getting him fired up for the end of the season.

“Texas State volleyball is known for playing our best in November,” Huitt said. “[Our] motto is culture over everything, and our culture at Texas State is championships. We want to be going for championships in November. We know we want to be playing our best right now, and this team is well on their way to that.” 

The Bobcats will now head on the road for a two-game series against Coastal Carolina University. 

The first match between Texas State and Coastal Carolina is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, at the HTC Center in Conway, South Carolina. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.