TXST VOLLEYBALL
Snapping a three-game losing streak, Texas State swept the Incarnate Word Cardinals 3-0 [26-24, 2523, 25-21] to conclude play at the Texas State Invitational this past weekend.
The Bobcats and Head Coach Sean Huiet improved their overall record to 4-4 as Texas State bounced back after being swept by Tulsa 3-0 [2513, 25-18, 25-19].
“I’m just super proud of the bounceback we had,” Huiet said. “We struggled a little bit after what we did Thursday night. Last night, we weren’t happy with our performance so we challenged them a little bit today.
“One of the things we’ve been really, really stressing is we want to be hard to score on. I thought our defense was really good tonight [with] digging 76 balls in a three-set match. It was a big time, so I’m really proud of how we bounced back today to get back on the winning way.”
In the first set, the Bobcats jumped out to a 5-2 lead before UIW went on a 5-2 run to tie the game at 7-7. After trading points to remain tied at 88, the Bobcats went on a 5-2 run of their own to lead 13-10.
Texas State followed up their 5-2 run with a 5-1 run, capped off by a kill from senior Jade Defraeye, to extend their lead to 18-12.
The Bobcats pushed their lead to 24-19 to make it set point before UIW answered with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 2424.
However, the Bobcats closed out the set following a kill from sophomore Caelyn Emmerling and a UIW attacking error to take the first set at 26-24.
In the second set, UIW took over before leading the Bobcats at 15-13. The Bobcats answered with a 5-1 run before retaking the lead at 18-16.
UIW was unable to overcome the run as the Bobcats won the second set in a close battle 25-23.
UIW jumped out in the third set to lead 3-2 before Texas State went on a 7-1 run to lead 9-4. Despite the large lead, the Cardinals fought back tie the game back up at 16-16.
However, the Bobcats answered with a 4-0 run following a Maggie Walsh serving ace to go back up 20-16.
The run was too much for the Cardinals to overcome as Texas State won the third set 25-21 to complete the sweep.
Outside hitters Nina Moorer and Emmerling both led the Bobcats in kills with 10 apiece while Defraeye was third with nine.
Setter Anna Blaine, after winning the Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Week, led the team in assists with 40.
On defense, Brooke Bentke led the team in digs with 18 followed by Blaine with 15 and Alyssa Clark with 14. Moorer and Ally Adair led the team in blocks with five apiece.
Both Defraeye and Blaine were named to the Texas State Invitational All-Tournament team.
Texas State will be back on the road this week and will play in the Stanford Tournament. The Bobcats open up play against 24th-ranked UCLA 6 p.m. Friday in Stanford.
Senior Jade Defraeye makes the kill in the Bobcats game against Arizona State. DeFraeye had nine kills in the Bobcats sweep over UIW. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
