Game Notes
San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team will make their final road trip of the regular season this Thursday and Saturday as the Bobcats travel to Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. However, the Bobcats are hoping that this will not be their last visit to Huntsville, Texas, this season since Sam Houston State will host the 2010 Southland Conference Tournament.
Texas State's match against Sam Houston State is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday evening. Live stats and video coverage of the contest will be provided through SHSU's athletics website, gobearkats.com, while the Texas State athletics website, txstatebobcats.com, will have a live chat during the contest with play-by-play action and commentary from courtside.
The Bobcats wrap up their road schedule on Saturday with a 6 p.m. match at Stephen F. Austin. The SFA athletics website, sfajacks.com, will have live stats and video for the match, while txstatebobcats.com will once again provide a live chat for the contest.
Links to all coverage of both Thursday's and Saturday's matches can be found on the volleyball schedule page at txstatebobcats.com. Simply click on “Details” next to the selected game to find links to all live coverage for the match.
Following Saturday's match, Texas State has just four remaining home matches on its 2010 slate. For information on tickets to the Bobcats' remaining home games, visit txstatebobcats.com and click on “Ticket Center” in the upper right-hand corner of the page or call 245-2272.
Scouting Texas State (14-10, 7-3 SLC)
The Bobcats will look to shake off their road loss to Central Arkansas last Saturday and finish their 2010 road schedule strong beginning on Thursday at Sam Houston State. Texas State has won seven of its last 10 matches and seeks to improve upon a 5-5 road record this season.
Senior AJ Watlington and freshman Amari Deardorff have been the primary offensive weapons for the Bobcats of late. One of the two has led the team in kills each of the past six matches.
Watlington leads the team with 219 kills this season, while pacing the Bobcats in the category in seven of the team's matches this year. Deardorff ranks fifth in the Southland Conference in hitting percentage at .323 and is third on head coach Karen Chisum's squad with 160 kills.
Scouting Sam Houston State (11-14, 5-5 SLC)
Head Coach: Brenda Gray
Conference: Southland
All-Time Series: Texas State leads, 50-48-1
Last Meeting: Texas State won, 3-1 (10/14/10)
The Bearkats have alternated wins and losses over their past five matches, going back to their 3-1 victory over Nicholls on October 9. Sam Houston State then fell to the Bobcats on October 14 before winning at UT Arlington, losing at Stephen F. Austin and winning at Southeastern Louisiana.
The Bearkats have been much better at home than on the road this season, notching a 6-3 record at Johnson Coliseum compared to a 3-7 record on the road. Additionally, Sam Houston State is 3-1 at home during conference play.
Preseason All-SLC First Team selection Carli Kolbe is the team's leader, ranking among the SLC leaders with 3.44 kills per set while also averaging 2.62 digs per set.
Scouting Stephen F. Austin (11-14, 4-6 SLC)
Head Coach: Debbie Humphreys
Conference: Southland
All-Time Series: Texas State leads, 47-25-1
Last Meeting: Texas State won, 3-1 (10/22/10)
Stephen F. Austin enters the week with a 4-6 mark in the Southland Conference after defeating Sam Houston State and falling to Nicholls in the team's two matches since departing San Marcos on October 16.
The Ladyjacks are 4-2 at home this season compared to 2-7 on the road. They have won each of their last two home contests since being swept by UTSA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to begin their home SLC slate.
MC Bottles is one of just six players in the Southland Conference to average more than 3.00 kills per set, and she comes into the week with a 3.03 kills per set average. The Preseason All-SLC First Team selection also leads the team in blocking with a 0.95 blocks per set average and a .275 hitting percentage.
Top Notes
Last Week
The Bobcats split their two matches last week, defeating UT Arlington at Strahan Coliseum for the team's fourth consecutive win before falling to Central Arkansas on Saturday in Conway, Ark.
Against Sam Houston State
The Bobcats defeated Sam Houston State in four sets at Strahan Coliseum earlier this season to increase their all-time advantage over the Bearkats to 50-48-1. The Bobcats are 7-3 in their last 10 trips to Huntsville, dating back to 2000.
Against Stephen F. Austin
The series between Texas State and Stephen F. Austin has gone the Bobcats' way more often than not all-time. Texas State holds a 47-25-1 record against the Ladyjacks, including a 6-4 mark in the team's last 10 trips to Nacogdoches.
Southland Conference Standings
The Bobcats sit in second place in the Southland Conference West Division with a 7-3 SLC record, one game behind UTSA which leads the division with a 9-1 mark. In the East Division, Central Arkansas leads with a 10-0 record, while Lamar and Nicholls are tied for second with 5-5 records. Sam Houston State's 5-5 SLC record has the Bearkats in third place in the SLC West, while Stephen F. Austin is one game behind SHSU along with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UT Arlington.
To Clinch A Winning Season
Texas State can clinch its eighth consecutive winning season in conference play with a pair of wins this weekend. The Bobcats have recorded at least 10 conference victories in each of the team's last seven seasons.
Going For The Sweep
Texas State will look to sweep the season series against Sam Houston State since the 2008 season. The Bobcats actually took all three meetings with the Bearkats that season after defeating them in the SLC Tournament as well. The Bobcats will also look to sweep the Ladyjacks for the third consecutive season while running their winning streak to six matches.
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.
