Bobcats ready for Sun Belt play

Texas State knew the difficulty its non-conference schedule presented. 

The Bobcats, however, welcomed the challenge with ranked teams like No. 5 Texas, No. 19 Baylor, No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 Marquette on the schedule.

Texas State started 0-3 at the Baylor Invitational to begin the season. But the Bobcats bounced back to a 9-5 record. Texas State hung with the Longhorns in a raucous Gregory Gymnasium and took a set off the Wildcats inside Strahan Arena. The Bobcats won two tournament titles for the first time since 1998 —their host Creeds & Crests Classic and the Arizona State Sparky Classic. 

As Texas State prepares to start Sun Belt play this weekend, head coach Karen Chisum is pleased with the direction her team is going. 

“We’ve competed with everyone we have played since that very first tournament,”  Chisum said. “You know, I think the Baylor, the LSU and the Marquette was a learning situation for us, and I think we kind of got our head knocked off a little when Megan Porter went down with her knee injury and she’s gone for the season. So, we had to do some changes. But, boy, they’ve worked. It’s been good. I’m real pleased with where we are at this point. No doubt about it.”

Texas State entered 2018 with the goal of winning a Sun Belt championship. The Bobcats are confident they can achieve that goal, but they also understand that every team in the conference will be a challenge. 

“We told the kids this, ‘Every time we go into a gym, target is on our back. We’re going to get their best shot. They’re all gearing for Texas State University. That’s a promise,’” Chisum said. 

Is that a bad thing? Chisum said no. Knowing they’re getting a fight every game helps push the Bobcats. 

“We have to bring our ‘A-game’ every time we step on the court,” freshman setter Emily DeWalt said. “So, I’m excited.”

Texas State begins conference competition against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday at 6:30 p.m., but it’s Sunday’s game against Louisiana-Lafayette at 12 p.m. that has Chisum concerned. 

“I’ve watched (Louisiana) Lafayette quite a bit. That’s the team that concerns me and not that I’m overlooking (Louisiana) Monroe,” Chisum said. “... (ULM’s) got a new coach. That’s one thing I can say. They’ve been at the bottom of the barrel for the last however many years, but they do have a new coach. They’ve already won several more matches than what they did last year. So, I think (ULM’s) going to be scrappy. 

“But Louisiana-Lafayette, they beat us over there last year. That’s something I won’t forget and I don’t think our kids will … They’re pretty good. They’ve got two middles that are kind of intimidating. But again, if we play as we have been playing, I think we’ll be in good shape. But, again, we can’t take anybody for granted and I won’t let the kids do that. That’s a promise.”

With the opportunity to win the Sun Belt at hand, Texas State will look back at the tough non-conference schedule and know it helped them learn they can compete with anybody. 

“I think we learned that even though we’re a small school, we’re capable of playing at the same level with those type of big D1 athletes,” junior outside hitter/setter Cheyenne Huskey said. “We might not be as tall, we might not be as big, but we have the heart and our heart could be 10 times bigger than theirs, and we put all of our energy to making that successful.”