Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Logan, Utah – The Texas State volleyball team made quick work of Idaho State on Friday evening in the team's first match of the Utah State Invitational being played at the Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah, defeating the Bengals, 3-0, in just more than an hour. The Bobcats (3-1) finished off Idaho State (2-4) by scores of 25-18, 25-17, 25-13.
Senior Amber Calhoun led an ultra-efficient Texas State offense with 13 kills and a .579 hitting percentage, many of which came during the team's third set run to pull away for good.
As a team, the Bobcats hit better than .450 in all three sets and finished the match with a .518 hitting percentage. The mark was just shy of the team's all-time single-match hitting percentage record of .553 set in November of 1988 against Prairie View A&M.
Seven Bobcats hit better than .400 for the match. Aside from Calhoun, sophomore Melissa Toth totaled nine kills on 16 attempts for a .562 hitting percentage, while Amari Deardorff contributed seven kills and a .545 hitting percentage. Senior Lindy DeGeare made her Bobcat debut in impressive fashion, finishing with seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage off the bench for head coach Karen Chisum's squad.
Sophomore Ashlee Hilbun continued her string of exceptionally consistent play with six kills on eight attempts for a .750 hitting percentage, while setters Caleigh McCorquodale (4-0-8) and Amy Bremer (2-0-2) both hit at least .500 as well.
Not to be lost was the job done by McCorquodale, who ran a precise Texas State offense in handing out a match-high 35 assists.
Defensively, freshman libero Laura Whalen excelled in the back row, keeping several rallies alive for the Bobcats. She posted a match-high 18 digs, bringing her streak of double-digit digs to four matches to begin her Texas State career.
On the block, Texas State held a slim 4.0-2.0 advantage, but those numbers were not indicative of the effect that it had on the match. The presence of the Bobcat block forced Idaho State into numerous tips and high roll shots for Whalen and the Texas State defenders to dig. For the match, Texas State held a 43-24 advantage in digs.
The Bobcats now look forward to Saturday, September 3 when the team will play two matches. The first of which will come against Syracuse at 12 p.m. CST before the team takes on tournament host Utah State at 8 p.m. CST. Check back to www.TxStateBobcats.com for complete coverage of both matches.
