Tournament: Hampton Inn Bama Bash
Dates: Friday & Saturday, August 26 & 27
Teams: Texas State, Alabama, Alabama State, Austin Peay
Site: Alabama University - Foster Auditorium
Live Chat: www.txstatebobcats.com
Live Stats: www.rolltide.com
Live Streaming: www.rolltide.com
Tournament Schedule (Central Time):
Friday, August 26
12:00 p.m. - Alabama vs. Alabama State
4:00 p.m. - Texas State vs. Alabama State
7:00 p.m. - Alabama vs. Austin Peay
Saturday, August 27
10:00 a.m. - Alabama State vs. Austin Peay
3:00 p.m. - Austin Peay vs. Texas State
7:00 p.m. - Alabama vs. Texas State
Game Notes
San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team will begin its 2011 season this weekend when the Bobcats travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Hampton Inn Bama Bash beginning on Friday, August 26 at the Foster Auditorium on the campus of the University of Alabama.
The first serve of the Bobcats' 2011 season will be at 4 p.m. on Friday when the team takes on Alabama State in the second game of the tournament. Texas State will also take on Alabama and Austin Peay as part of the four-team tournament.
“Starting with Alabama's tournament should be a good test for us,” said head coach Karen Chisum. “We are anxious to have another shot at both Alabama and Austin Peay. We have losses to both of them in the last couple of years, so we know they are going to be very good competition.”
After Friday's match, Texas State will come back with a pair of matches on Saturday. The Bobcats will play the Austin Peay Lady Govs on Saturday at 3 p.m. before turning around and playing the Alabama Crimson Tide at 7 p.m. in the tournament finale.
Friday's match will mark the beginning of Chisum's 32nd season with the Bobcats. She enters the 2011 campaign as the sixth winningest active head coach in NCAA Division I with 716 career victories.
Fans unable to make the trip to Alabama will have several ways follow all the action in Tuscaloosa with Alabama hosting live stats and web streaming on their website, www.rolltide.com. Additionally, fans can following along with an interactive live chat through www.txstatebobcats.com beginning 15 minutes before the first serve. Updates will also be provided through the volleyball team's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/texasstatevball) and Twitter account (@texasstatevball).
Notes
Season Openers
The Bobcats are 22-18-1 in their history of season openers. Over their past 10 matches to begin the season, the Bobcats have a 5-5 mark. Last season, Texas State dropped a hard-fought, five-set match to Missouri State, 3-2, to open the season.
1994 Crimson Tide Classic
This season will mark the second time that the Bobcats have traveled to Tuscaloosa to open the season. The Bobcats also made the trip to Alabama to begin the 1994 season at the Crimson Tide Classic when they defeated Austin Peay, Louisville, Alabama and Georgia State to finish 4-0 and take the tournament championship.
Recent History
Texas State has played both Alabama and Austin Peay in non-conference tournament matches early in the season in recent years. Last year, the Bobcats played Alabama at the CenturyLink Premier with the Crimson Tide winning, 3-0. Two seasons ago, Austin Peay and Texas State met in Milwaukee, Wis., for the Marquette Invitational with the Lady Govs take a five-set victory. On the contrary, Texas State's season opener against Alabama State will be the first meeting between the two schools.
Efficient Offense
The Bobcats are coming off a 2010 season in which the team led the Southland Conference in hitting percentage with a mark of .256. Texas State's percentage was 12 points higher than second-ranked Central Arkansas, which hit at a .244 clip in 2010. In addition to leading the league in hitting percentage, the Bobcats also ranked in the top three in the conference in kills and assists.
Returning Offense
Texas State returning players from 2010 accounted for 36 percent of the team's kills a season ago. The Bobcats lost 64 percent of the team's kills, mainly with departure of seniors AJ Watlington and Mo Middleton. Also, with the return of junior Caleigh McCorquodale, the Bobcats return nearly 50 percent of their assists from last season.
Returning Defense
Texas State returnees accounted for 59 percent of the team's blocks a season ago, led by senior Amber Calhoun's 117 and sophomore Ashlee Hilbun's 78 stuffs in 2010. The Bobcats also return 40 percent of the team's digs from last season, led by Caleigh McCorquodale's 229 and Danielle Sanchou's 205, the top two marks for the 2010 Bobcats.
