TXST VOLLEYBALL
In their last season in the Sun Belt Conference, Texas State was back on the courts in preparation for the 2025 season.
Coming into the season as the defending conference tournament champions, Head Coach Sean Huiet is excited for the regular season.
“We were at our pregame meal today and it kind of started to feel like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s here,’” Huiet said. “Even though we’ve been practicing for a couple weeks, to go in the actual mode of pregame meal [had] hit around and all that kind of stuff made it feel more real. We’re a little banged up right now, which is how we’re supposed to be during a week and a half into two-a-days. Nothing major, but it was good to see them put on some jerseys and play.”
The Bobcats lost two seniors in setter Ryann Torres and libero Alyssa Ortega from last year’s conference championship winning team who then earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Despite losing two key pieces from last year’s team, Huiet is confident in his team going into this season with the addition of several transfers and freshman players.
“We lost Ryann [Torres] and [Alyssa] Ortega, [at] setter and libero which are key positions, but we have all outside hitters back, which is something that’s really nice to have,” Huiet said. ”So we added some transfers and saw some freshmen out there. For us, it’s the details and the little stuff so we’ve been focusing a lot on that.”
Though the Bobcats have captured the conference tournament title and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, the team is hungry to make history in the final year in the Sun Belt Conference.
“This team and their identity is they want to do something Texas State hasn’t done,” Huiet said. “[The seniors] haven’t won the regular season title in their entire career here. That’s something they want to do. They want to make a run to the Sweet 16 [which] we’ve been saying that for a while. This group has really bought into that. So they’re just working hard and going after it. You saw tonight. It didn’t matter what lineup we put out there, it was a competitive game.”
Knowing what is at stake for the Bobcats going into the season, senior outside hitter Nina Moorer and her teammates are doing everything possible to end Texas State’s final year in the Sun Belt on the right note.
“We’re doing a really good job just working hard, going for everything and having that underdog mentality right now,” Moorer said. “That’s really going to benefit us towards the end of the season when we’re within that game. We’re within that one set that we need to take over that conference championship or regular season title.
“That’s just going to be helpful for us, coming in and just thinking, everybody’s our biggest opponent. We just have to do what we have to do and take care of things on our side to get there.”
Senior outside hitter Samantha Wunsch also feels the pressure of both defending crown and attempting to make history knowing the Bobcats are public enemy No. 1 within the conference.
“All the teams in the Sun Belt will definitely be out to get us, wanting some revenge,” Wunsch said. “That will be a bit of an added pressure, but an added privilege too of getting to win the Sun Belt [title].”
Texas State takes on Lamar in an exhibition game this Saturday.
The Bobcats return many of their starters from last season including outside hitter Samantha Wunsch and former San Marcos Rattler Maggie Walsh. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics
