DeWalt, Bobcats tabbed for multiple Sun Belt awards

Texas State was 0-4 and heading for a fifth consecutive loss when Emily DeWalt was pulled out of the team’s match against Ohio State on Sept. 4.

It was a rare occasion. The senior setter hardly ever comes off the floor for the Bobcats, usually playing all six rotations. But she was sidelined for the next three weeks with a rotator cuff injury that she’d tried to play through early on. The team went 4-4 during the stretch, concluding in the maroon and gold’s worst non-conference record in recent history at 4-9 overall.

DeWalt returned in time for Sun Belt play, helping the team earn a 3-1 road win over Troy on Sept. 24. But it still took some time for her and her teammates to catch back up to speed, losing to South Alabama on Sept. 25 and Louisiana on Oct. 2.

Once the Helotes native returned to full strength, though, the Bobcats were unstoppable. Texas State has since won 12 in a row, losing just three sets throughout the streak. DeWalt claimed four conference Setter of the Week honors and led the league with 11.12 assists per set, helping the team earn the No. 1 West Division seed.

On Wednesday, the Sun Belt named DeWalt its Setter of the Year for a fourth straight season and, for the first time in her career, also tabbed her as the conference’s Player of the Year.

“We got pretty emotional today talking about (Emily), because, two months ago, we were sitting in the office talking about whether she was going to play or not,” Texas State head coach Sean Huiet said in a statement. “For her to play through the type of injury she has and maintain this type of level of play on the court, it says so much about who she is.

“For her to be recognized as not only the Setter of the Year for the fourth time in a row, which is huge, but I really think she’s one of if not the best player in our conference. So, for all the other coaches to give her that award, I think everyone can understand why we were emotional about that today. She’s battled a lot this season, so for her to get these awards, it was a really special moment.”

The Bobcats saw three other players receive honors in the Sun Belt’s postseason awards. Senior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald joined DeWalt on the all-conference First Team and was voted Offensive Player of the Year after posting 4.06 kills per set in league play.

“When (Janell) got the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, this was one of our goals,” Huiet stated. “We always talk about those preseason ones, but we also want those to be things we get at the end of the season, too.

“I think, because our team was so balanced, I wasn’t sure what her numbers were going to look like at the end of the season. So, it was nice for us to still be balanced, but for her to have over four kills per set. Her playing the backrow really helps her get some more touches as well. She’s done some really great things this season: she is leading the conference in kills per set and is in the top three in hitting percentage. And that’s definitely someone who deserves to be recognized as the offensive player of the year.”

Graduate outside hitter Jada Gardner and fifth-year senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott were both Second Team selections. Gardner finished the regular season averaging 3.02 kills per set. Scott averaged 1.98 kills to go along with 0.97 blocks per frame.

“We always say it’s nice when individuals get recognized, but we know it’s a team sport and their teammates helped them get them,” Huiet stated. “I’m really excited for those four kids to be recognized by our conference.”

Texas State heads into the Sun Belt tournament this weekend hoping to walk away with a fourth consecutive conference title. It’s been the goal for the Bobcats all season long.

The team received a first-round bye and will play the winner of Thursday’s match between No. 4 East Division seed Troy and No. 5 West Division seed Little Rock. The second-round matchup takes place on Friday in Foley, Ala., at 7:30 p.m.

“Just being able to play everybody (in the conference), I feel like we know our competition now,” Scott said. “Like our coaches say, we're going to get everyone's best. So I think we're definitely prepared for it.