Game Notes
San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team will play two Southland Conference matches at Strahan Coliseum this week, beginning on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. when Nicholls visits San Marcos for the second time in as many years. The Bobcats will then have a day off before returning to the court on Saturday morning for an 11 a.m. match against Southeastern Louisiana.
Thursday's match against Nicholls will also be the Bobcats' Dig Pink night. Bobcat players will be wearing pink and fans are encouraged do so as well in honor of the goal of increasing breast cancer awareness. Texas State will also be raising funds for the Central Texas Medical Center with a silent auction beginning at 4:30 in Strahan Coliseum. Admission to the match on Thursday will be free.
Live coverage of both matches this week will be provided through txstatebobcats.com. Texas State will have live stats and video, which can be accessed at the links below.
Game Coverage
Live Stats
Live Video
Scouting Texas State (15-11, 8-4 SLC)
The Bobcats enter the week with a 5-2 record over their past seven matches, with four of those victories coming at Strahan Coliseum. Texas State has been especially tough at home, sporting a 7-1 record in front of the home fans.
Texas State is among the conference leaders in nearly every statistical category. The Bobcats lead the conference in hitting percentage at .247 while ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.169). The team is also third in assists per set (11.86), kills per set (12.97) and blocks per set (2.23).
Scouting Nicholls (13-12, 5-7 SLC)
Head Coach: TeAna Tramel
Conference: Southland
All-Time Series: Texas State leads, 30-8
Last Meeting: Texas State won, 3-0 (10/22/09)
After beginning the season with an 8-3 record, Nicholls has gone 5-9 over its past 14 matches to bring its overall record to 13-12 this season. The Colonels have lost six of their past eight Southland Conference matches, including a pair of losses last weekend at Lamar and McNeese State.
The Colonels trip to San Marcos will mark their second road trip in as many weekends. So far this season, Nicholls is 4-6 in road matches.
Danielle Daigle anchors a strong Nicholls defense that ranks second in the Southland Conference in digs per set. The junior is averaging an SLC-best 5.71 digs per set and has garnered SLC Defensive Player of the Week honors on three occasions.
Scouting Southeastern Louisiana (10-19, 1-11 SLC)
Head Coach: Julie Langford
Conference: Southland
All-Time Series: Texas State leads, 25-5
Last Meeting: Texas State won, 3-0 (11/20/09)
Southeastern Louisiana enters the week on a seven-match losing streak and having dropped 10 of its last 11 matches. The Lady Lions lone victory during that span came in a non-conference match against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
After a 3-1 loss to Nicholls to begin its Southland Conference schedule, Southeastern Louisiana earned its first and only SLC victory in a five-setter against McNeese State. The Lady Lions have since lost 10 consecutive conference matches.
The Lady Lions rank in the top five in the conference in aces per set at just less than 1.50 per set. Paige Dollison is the team leader with 28 aces and a 0.29 aces per set average.
Top Notes
Last Week
The Bobcats split their two matches last week, falling to Sam Houston State in four sets before bouncing back for a 3-0 victory against Stephen F. Austin.
Against Nicholls
The Bobcats are currently riding an eight-match winning streak against Nicholls dating back to the 2004 season. Texas State's last loss to the Colonels came in the 2003 Southland Conference Tournament.
Against Southeastern Louisiana
The last meeting between the Bobcats and the Lady Lions came during the 2009 Southland Conference Tournament with Texas State coming out on top, 3-0. The victory began the team's run to its sixth Southland Conference Tournament Championship.
Southland Conference Standings
The Bobcats sit in second place in the Southland Conference West Division with an 8-4 SLC record. Texas State sits behind UTSA which leads the division with an 11-1 mark. In the East Division, Central Arkansas leads with an 11-1 record, while Lamar is second with 7-5 records Nicholls was tied for second place in the East Division before a pair of losses last weekend sent the Colonels down to fourth place in the division. Southeastern Louisiana is in sixth place in that division with a 1-11 record.
To Clinch A Winning Season
Texas State can clinch its eighth consecutive winning season in conference play with one win this weekend. The Bobcats have recorded at least 10 conference victories in each of the team's last seven seasons.
Dig Pink Night
Texas State will be hosting Dig Pink night for the November 4 match against Nicholls. The event is part of a nationwide fundraising effort to create awareness about breast cancer. A silent auction will begin at 4:30 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.
SLC Honorable Mentions
Mo Middleton and Amber Calhoun each earned honorable mention status for the SLC weekly awards this past week. Middleton was named an honorable mention for the offensive award after posting a team-high 21 kills in two matches for the Bobcats. She also had 12 kills and a career-high .706 hitting percentage against Stephen F. Austin last week. Calhoun averaged more than 2.0 blocks per set for the week after she had a career-best 10-block performance along with six stuffs in the other Bobcat match.
