Box Score

San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team defeated Northwestern State, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Strahan Coliseum in the team's first home match in nearly a month. The Bobcats took control of the match early and never backed off as they improved to 11-9 overall and 4-2 in the Southland Conference. The Lady Demons dropped to 10-9 overall and 2-5 in the conference with the loss.

The Bobcats came out of the gates sharp, winning 15 of the first 17 points of the match to jump in front 15-2. Mo Middleton and Amber Calhoun combined to serve 15 times during the run, while Madeline Gaffney had four kill to put the Bobcats on their way to a 25-12 win in the opening set.

Danielle Sanchou served six straight points in the second set for Texas State, helping the team to a 13-7 lead. However, Northwestern State came back late in the stanza to make it interesting. The Bobcats led 22-17 late before a 6-2 run brought the Lady Demons within one point of tying the set. With the score 24-23 in favor of Texas State, Shelbi Irvin set up Middleton for a kill that sealed the second set for the Bobcats, 25-23.

The third set saw the Bobcats receive three early kills from Preslie Alexander as the team raced to a 9-5 lead. Texas State did a good job of limiting the Lady Demons' opportunities from there on out, siding out at an 81 percent clip as the Bobcats slowly built its lead. The advantage grew to 10, 23-13, on a kill from Amari Deardorff before three points by Northwestern State made it 23-16. That's as close as the visitors would come as Calhoun put down her sixth kill of the match and Deardorff followed with a solo stuff to put the finishing touches on the victory, 25-16.

Five Bobcats hit higher than .300 for the match, led by Gaffney's .750 hitting percentage. The freshman recorded kills on seven of her eight swings with just one error. Deardorff was right behind Gaffney with a .615 hitting percentage (eight kills, 13 attempts). Calhoun (.556 hitting percentage), AJ Watlington (.375) and Melinda Cave (.312) also turned in solid hitting performances for Texas State.

Cave and Deardorff tied for the team lead with eight kills, while Irvin finished with a team-best 26 assists. Caleigh McCorquodale had 18 assists as the pair of setters helped Texas State to a .358 hitting percentage for the match – the team's highest so far this conference season.

Danielle Sanchou led the defense with a match-high 15 digs. At the net, Calhoun posted a team-high four blocks and Deardorff added three.

Northwestern State was led by Kourtney Adams, who posted seven kills, and Laranda Spann, who had a match-high five blocks and six kills.

The Bobcats return to action on Thursday, October 14 against Sam Houston State at 6:30 p.m. in Strahan Coliseum.