TXST VOLLEYBALL
The Bobcats pushed the No. 9 ranked Sun Devils to the limit but fell in the fifth set, losing to Arizona State 3-2 [24-26, 30-28, 25-20, 25-19, 159] in Texas State’s first home game of the season.
It was a tough loss for the Bobcats and Head Coach Sean Huiet, who dropped their overall record to 3-3 while Arizona State improves to 5-1.
“That’s a tough one,” Huiet said. “Yes, they’re number nine in the country, and I just thought we let it kind of slip away a little bit. We’re both kind of banged up right now early in the season, but this one’s going to sting a little bit. Just a missed opportunity.
“There are some bright things that happened tonight, some really good things. So we’re going to have to get in and watch the film.”
The defeat also stung for redshirt junior Samantha Wunsch, who finished the night with a double-double, leading the team in kills with 21 along with 13 digs.
“Momentum is a tough thing,” Wunsch said. “We all had the effort. It was just the momentum that went their way.
“We should have beat them. I know that they’re ranked high and whatever, but in that game, [the loss] doesn’t feel great, because I think we really had it.”
After being tied at 3-3 in the first set, the Bobcats went on a 4-0 run to take the lead at 7-3 following an attacking error by Arizona State.
The Sun Devils answered back with a 7-1 run, going back in front at 11-8.
After going up 12-9, Texas State went on a 5-1 run, capped off by a kill from Wunsch as the Bobcats led 14-13.
Texas State pushed their lead to 20-17 before the Sun Devils went on a 6-2 run, going back in front at 23-22.
But the Bobcats rallied, closing out the first set on a 4-1 run to take the first set at 26-24.
“There were times where [Arizona State pushed and that’s where I told the team that was something I was really proud of them [for not backing down] that we’ve grown in since we’ve started,” Huiet said. ”Sometimes when a team pushes, we go back a little bit. I thought when they pushed, they could have won that first set and we went back at them. We didn’t back down so I think that is something that we can take as a positive.”
The thrilling play of the second set came when the game was tied at 10-10. Texas State went on a 4-1 run to lead 14-11 before leading 17-13 later in the set.
Arizona State then went on a 7-1 run to go back in front 20-18 before going to set point at 2421.
But Texas State responded with a 5-1 run, ending with a Sun Devil attacking error to put the Bobcats at set point at 26-25.
Both Texas State and Arizona State went back and forth before the Sun Devils closed out the set on a 3-0 run to win 3028.
The Sun Devils looked to be in control in the third set after jumping out to a 10-6 lead but a 4-0 run by the Bobcats tied the game at 10-10. Once again the teams traded points back and forth before Texas State trailed Arizona State 20--19.
VOLLEYBALLFROM PG. 10A
The Bobcats capped off the third set on a 6-0 run, closed out by a kill from senior Jade Defraeye as Texas State won the third set 25-20.
The fourth set saw both teams continue to trade points before the game was tied up at 12-12. Arizona State answered with a 6-1 run to push their lead up 18-13. It was too much for the Bobcats to overcome as the Bobcats fell in the fourth set 2519.
The Bobcats and the Sun Devils battled once more in the final set as the game was tied up at 5-5 following a kill from senior and San Marcos High School alum Maggie Walsh. The Sun Devils went out in front 7-5 only for the Bobcats to respond, trailing 9-8.
Arizona State closed out the game on a 6-1 run, winning the fifth set 15-9 and winning the match at 3-2.
Texas State returned to play Friday night after the Daily Record’s time of press.
