Game Notes
San Marcos, Texas – Strahan Coliseum and the Texas State fans have provided the Bobcat volleyball team a true home court advantage throughout the years, and this season has been no exception. Texas State, which is 4-1 at home this season, will look for that advantage to help propel the Bobcats to a pair of victories this week as the team hosts Sam Houston State on Thursday and Stephen F. Austin on Saturday.
Thursday's match against Sam Houston State begins at 6:30 p.m. The contest is an important one for the Bobcats as Sam Houston State (9-12, 3-3 SLC) is just one game behind Texas State in the Southland Conference West Division.
On Saturday, Texas State (11-9, 4-2 SLC) hosts Stephen F. Austin (9-12, 2-4 SLC) in another division matchup beginning at 2 p.m. The two teams will play for the first time since last season's SLC Tournament championship match when the Bobcats defeated the Ladyjacks in four sets for the title.
Tickets for Saturday's match can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more information on tickets, visit txstatebobcats.com and click on “Ticket Center” in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
For fans unable to attend the matches, live coverage will be available through txstatebobcats.com. The Texas State Athletics website will provide live stats and live video of the match. To access live coverage, go to the volleyball schedule and click on “Details” next to the match.
Scouting Texas State
The Bobcats have alternated wins and losses for their past five matches, their most recent being a 3-0 win against Northwestern State last Saturday. Since beginning the season 2-4, Texas State has compiled a 9-5 record over its last 14 contests.
Shelbi Irvin and Caleigh McCorquodale share the setting duties for Texas State and have helped the team to a conference-best .253 team hitting percentage for the season. Irvin leads the team with 422 assists on the season for a 6.70 assist per set average, while McCorquodale has posted 373 assists for a 5.25 assists per set average.
Scouting Sam Houston State
Head Coach: Brenda Gray
Conference: Southland
All-Time Series: Texas State leads, 49-48-1
Last Meeting: Texas State won, 3-0 (11/7/09)
The Bearkats enter Thursday's matchup with the Bobcats after playing four consecutive matches at home, winning against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Stephen F. Austin and Nicholls while losing to UTSA for a 3-1 mark.
So far this season, the Bearkats have endured five-match and six-match losing streaks, while sporting a 3-9 record when playing away from home.
After a pair of wins last weekend, two Bearkat players were recognized by the Southland Conference. Carli Kolbi, who was named the SLC Offensive Player of the Week, ranks third in the conference with a 3.39 kills per set average. Kim Black averaged just less than 2.00 blocks per set last weekend as she received SLC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Scouting Stephen F. Austin
Head Coach: Debbie Humphreys
Conference: Southland
All-Time Series: Texas State leads, 46-25-1
Last Meeting: Texas State won, 3-1 (11/22/09)
Stephen F. Austin has compiled a 2-4 record through the team's first six matches of its conference schedule. The Ladyjacks got off to a good start with a 3-1 win against Northwestern State before losing four straight matches against Central Arkansas, UTSA, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State. Last Saturday, the Ladyjacks picked up their second conference win as they swept Southeastern Louisiana at home.
MC Bottles leads the team with a 3.07 kills per set average and a .288 hitting percentage. She is also the team's leader in aces with 21. Setter Allison Gideon runs the SFA offense and is averaging 8.79 assists per set, while Madison Hanlan anchors the Ladyjacks defense with a 4.56 digs per set average. Stephen F. Austin ranks one spot behind the Bobcats in both assists per set (12.46) and kills per set (13.54) in the SLC rankings.
Top Notes
Last Week
The Bobcats split its pair of matches a week ago. Texas State traveled to UT Arlington for its ninth consecutive match away from Strahan Coliseum and fell to UTA, 3-2, before returning for its first home match in nearly a month. The Bobcats defeated Northwestern State, 3-0, to improve to 11-9, 4-2 SLC.
Against Sam Houston State
Texas State and Sam Houston State has been one of the most competitive matchups for both teams historically. The two teams have played 98 all-time matches, with the Bobcats holding a narrow 49-48-1 advantage.
Against Stephen F. Austin
The Bobcats hold an all-time advantage of 46-25-1 against Stephen F. Austin. Recently, the Bobcats have enjoyed continued success, winning the last four matches against the Ladyjacks.
Last Meeting With Stephen F. Austin
The last time the Bobcats and Ladyjacks faced off was in the 2009 Southland Conference Tournament Championship Match. The Bobcats won the first and second sets, both by the score of 25-20, before SFA came back to capture the third set, 25-23. Texas State regrouped to win the fourth and final set, 25-17, for the team's sixth SLC Tournament Championship.
Southland Conference Standings
The Bobcats sit in second place in the Southland Conference West Division with a 4-2 SLC record, one game behind UTSA which leads the division with a 5-1 mark. In the East Division, Central Arkansas leads with a 7-0 record, while Lamar sits in second with a 4-2 mark in the conference.
Kids Clinic
Head coach Karen Chisum and the Texas State volleyball team will be hosting a free kids clinic for boys and girls in grades kindergarten through 8th on Saturday morning before the team's match against Stephen F. Austin. The current Bobcats will teach the kids the basic skills of passing, setting, blocking and hitting and will follow the clinic with autograph session.
Dig Pink Night
Texas State will be hosting Dig Pink night on November 4 when the Bobcats take on Nicholls at 6:30 p.m. The event is part of a nationwide fundraising effort to create awareness about breast cancer. A silent auction will begin at 5:30 and continue through the third set. All proceeds from the event will go to organizations associated with the Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos. Fans are asked to wear pink to the match.
