Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Article Image Alt Text

Above, Texas State graduate student setter Emily DeWalt sets a ball during a match inside Strahan Arena this season. DeWalt became the Sun Belt all-time leader in assists over the weekend. Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo

Texas State continues to break records

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

While the Texas State volleyball team either broke records or inched closer to breaking records over the past weekend, apparently the Bobcats weren’t done.

Texas State made history in the Sun Belt by becoming the first team to ever sweep the conference’s weekly volleyball awards as Janell Fitzgerald took home the offensive player of the week, Jacqueline Lee won the defensive player of the week and Emily DeWalt was named the setter of the week.

Head volleyball coach Sean Huiet said it says a lot about the team to be able to pull off such an accomplishment.

“We are playing at a high level,” Huiet said. “To be able to sweep all three of those awards is a testament to the team. We say all the time that individual awards come from the individual performances but they need their teammates and the team to win a little bit to get those awards. Those three kids had really good numbers this weekend with Janell getting 6.0 kills per set, Jackie was digging over 6 balls per set which is all really good and Emily was a little banged up but had ten assists per set.”

The past weekend saw graduate senior setter Emily DeWalt become the all time leader in assists in the Sun Belt Conference history with 5,705 career assists.

As Huiet explained, breaking the record is an amazing accomplishment for DeWalt considering last year when she played injured.

“She is a special player,” Huiet said. “Most people knew what she went through last year playing a season with a torn labrum and rotator cuff. For her to be able to come back and put a stamp on her last year here has been pretty incredible.”

But DeWalt is not the only Texas State volleyball player who is about to break records as Fitzgerald is just 11 kills away from becoming the all time leader in said category in program history.

Similar to DeWalt, breaking the all time record in kills in Bobcat volleyball program history is a major accomplishment considering how the team plays.

“Emily and Janell were a part of that recruiting class who wanted to do something that had never been done before at Texas State,” Huiet said. “They wanted to put us on the map and accomplish big things. Both have played a lot their freshman year which has given them the opportunity to break those records. Especially with Janell on breaking the all time kills record. We are usually pretty balanced and so the fact she can get as many kills as possible on a team that produces so many players that can get kills says a lot of her hard work that she has put into it.”

Though the Bobcats are proud of the accomplishments that both DeWalt and Fitzgerald have made this year, it wouldn’t be possible without the support of the team.

“The fun thing about our sport is that there are so many individual things that happen but it is such a team sport,” Huiet said. “Emily doesn’t get the assist if she isn’t getting good passes or digs and Janell isn’t getting the kills without the assists from Emily and the passes from everyone else. Individual awards are awesome and their teammates are always excited for them but it shows that those players wouldn’t be getting those awards without a team that is doing what they are supposed to do.”

Texas State returns to play this Friday and Saturday against Arkansas State.

Tipoff on Friday is at 6 p.m. while tipoff on Saturday is at 2 p.m. with all games taking place at Strahan Arena.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666