Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Samantha Wunsch’s 15 kills and career-high .682 hitting percentage helped advance Texas State past James Madison with a 3-0 sweep in the Sun Belt Conference tournament quarterfinals Friday afternoon at Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Alabama.
The Bobcats get redemption over the Dukes, who eliminated them in the semifinals of last year’s conference tournament.
In the first set, JMU had its highest-scoring offensive performance and kept the score close early but couldn’t grab a lead. Tied 5-5, Texas State went on a four-point run, giving the Dukes a hill they could not climb as the Bobcats took the set 25-18.
Set two went back and forth early with eight ties until the Bobcats gained an 11-10 advantage. Despite neither side having trouble on the attack, JMU’s four service errors cost it the set, handing Texas State a 2-0 lead.
It was all Bobcats in the final set, highlighted by an 8-0 run consisting of six errors by JMU. Freshman outside hitter MJ McCurdy got six of her 12 total kills in set three. She also contributed the final few points for the Bobcats, who cruised to a 25-14 victory to end the match.
The Bobcats arguably played their best match of the season, posting a season-high .482 hitting percentage and their lowest errors in a match this season with five. With this victory, Texas State has now won 20 games this season, a feat it has achieved every year since 2016.
Texas State will face off against Appalachian State, the #1 ranked team out of the Sun Belt East Division, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Foley Sports Tourism Complex. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
