Box Score

Dallas, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team avenged a loss earlier in the day on Friday as the Bobcats defeated SMU, 3-0 (28-26, 25-13, 25-23), for the team's first-ever victory over SMU in Dallas. The team entered the match 0-3 against the Mustangs in Moody Coliseum.

Texas State (5-5) is now 1-1 through two matches at the SMU Doubletree Invitational, while SMU (2-6) fell to 0-2 at its home tournament.

“Our blocking and passing was a lot better tonight than it was earlier today,” said head coach Karen Chisum. “We were able to take advantage of SMU's errors.”

After the Mustangs took an early five-point advantage, Texas State scored four straight points capped off by a big kill from Ashlee Hilbun off an SMU overpass that made the score 13-12 in favor of the home team. The Mustangs opened up a five-point lead, 20-15, late in the period, but a pair of aces from Laura Whalen helped bring the team back to within one, 22-21. A kill from Alexandra Simms kept the team within one before Hilbun's kill from the back row tied it up at 23-23.

Texas State fended off a pair of set points on kills from Simms and Amari Deardoff to make the score 25-25 before a block assist from Casey Heising and Molly Ahrens gave the Bobcats a 26-25 lead. SMU was able to spoil one set point attempt, but another kill from Deardorff followed by an SMU attack error gave the team the first set.

The Bobcats used the momentum from its first-set comeback to jump ahead early in the second set. With the score 6-4 Texas State, the Bobcats went on an 8-2 run that put the team in front 14-6. Ahrens had a pair of kills during the spurt to help fuel the team. Following an SMU timeout, Texas State came out even stronger with a block from Ahrens and Simms followed by a Deardorff kill that gave the Bobcats a 16-7 lead that forced another SMU timeout. This time, the Mustangs battled back to within five, 18-13, to shift the momentum to their side for the first time in the set. However, Chisum called the Bobcats' first timeout of the set to stop the Mustangs' run, and it got the Bobcats back on track as they scored the next seven points to close out the set, 25-13, on a block from Deardorff and Hilbun.

A pair of aces from Heising to begin the third set helped Texas State jump out to a 6-0 lead before SMU was able to get on the scoreboard. Texas State extended its lead to eight, 16-8, before a three-point run from the home team forced a Bobcat timeout. Setter Caleigh McCorquodale found Simms out of the break for a kill to end the SMU run, but the Mustangs brought their deficit to one, 20-19, before a pair of kills from Deardorff made the score 22-19 Bobcats. Texas State extended its lead to 24-20 before three straight SMU points made it 24-23, but on the team's fourth match point, Hilbun delivered her seventh kill of the match to close out the win.

“Caleigh did a great job moving it to our triangle of hitters,” Chisum said. “I thought Danielle Sanchou also had a good match for us playing in the back row.”

Texas State hit a season-high .286 for the match led by a 13-kill, .435 performance from Deardorff and a 13-kill, .407 performance from Simms.

McCorquodale handed out 35 assists to go along with five digs and a pair of blocks.

Hilbun had a match-high six blocks to go along with seven kills from her middle blocker position, while Patti Bradshaw led the back row with nine digs.

The Bobcats will have one more match at the SMU Doubletree Invitational on Saturday at 11 a.m. against Wichita State. Live coverage will be available via www.smumustangs.com and can be accessed through www.TxStateBobcats.com.

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