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Las Cruces, N.M. – Texas State volleyball won a five-set thriller on Saturday night in Las Cruces, N.M., as the Bobcats battled back from a 2-1 deficit to knock off first-place New Mexico State 24-26, 25-17, 15-25, 26-24, 15-11. The team got huge performances from several Bobcats, including sophomore Molly Ahrens, who finished with a career-high 11 blocks, and Ashlee Hilbun, who turned into the team's go-to offensive weapon down the stretch.

The Bobcats handed New Mexico State – the preseason favorite in the WAC – just its second loss in both the WAC and at home this season. Texas State improved to 10-10 overall and 5-4 in the conference, while the Aggies dropped to 13-6 overall and 7-2 in the WAC.

The win marked the first time this season that Texas State won a match after dropping the first set.

The first set was extremely close the entire way through with no more than three points separating the two teams at any point in the period. The Aggies took an 8-5 lead, Texas State came back with three straight points to knot it at 8-8. There would be 11 tie scores from that point forward with neither team gaining separation. The Aggies led 23-21 when a kill from Hilbun followed by a block from Molly Ahrens and Caylin Mahoney tied the score at 23-23. After again tying the score at 24-24, the Bobcats would narrowly fall as the Aggies escaped with a 26-24 win in the first set.

The Bobcats looked sharp early in the second set as the team sprinted in front 7-1 and continued to pour it on from there. The team extended its lead to as much as 11, 17-6, on a kill from Morgan McDaniel before a three-point run from New Mexico State made it 17-9. Alexandra Simms ended the run with the kill and added a couple aces down the stretch that would help propel the team to a 25-17, win in the second set and even the match at 1-1.

Simms carried the team offensively through the first two sets with 10 kills before intermission.

After spotting New Mexico State a 6-0 lead to begin the third set, Texas State answered with a run that brought the team within two, 8-6. However, that would be the closest the Bobcats would get in the stanza as the Aggies pulled away for a 25-15 win in the third set to go ahead 2-1 in the match.

Texas State took an 8-3 lead early in the fourth set on Ahrens' eighth block of the match, and the team was able to maintain its five-point lead at 18-13 on a kill from Caleigh McCorquodale. New Mexico State went on a five-point run to tie the match at 18-18, but the Bobcats answered with a pair of points to retake the lead, 20-18. However, another five-point run from the Aggies put the home team in front, 23-21. A pair of aces and a kill from Caylin Mahoney gave the Bobcats a 25-24 lead and a chance at set point, which the team took advantage of with a kill from Hilbun to force a fifth set.

In the deciding set, Texas State trailed 5-2 early before a 5-0 run put the team in front 7-5. The Aggies came back to tie it at 8-8, but kill from Ahrens and a solo stuff from Amari Deardorff put the Bobcats in front again, 10-8. Following a pair of Aggie points, Texas State would take control down the stretch with a 5-1 run to close out the match. Hilbun had a pair of kills during the run, including the game-winner, sandwiched around a pair of blocks. Hilbun and McDaniel got up to block the Aggie right side hitter before Mahoney roofed an attempted kill following a Bobcat overpass.

Hilbun finished the match with a career-high 16 kills and a .375 hitting percentage, while Simms totaled 12 kills and three aces for the match.

Mahoney finished with a team-high 21 assists, while McCorquodale had 17. The two Bobcat setters also combined for seven kills on 13 attacks.

Defensively, Ahrens had four solo blocks and seven block assists en route to her match-high 11 stuffs. Deardorff added five blocks and Mahoney had three (two solo, one assist).

Laura Whalen led the defensive back row with 13 digs. Patti Bradshaw finished with nine saves, and Sierra Smith had eight.

Texas State will have one more game on its current three-match road swing when the team heads to San Jose, Calif., for a match on Monday, October 15 against the San Jose State Spartans. Visit www.TxStateBobcats.com for live coverage options for that match.

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