HUNTSVILLE, Texas – After falling behind to Sam Houston State early Tuesday night, Texas State Volleyball rebounded to score 11 consecutive points behind service from Shelby Vas Matt to gain control of the match. From there, the Bobcats used several runs to make sure the match was never in doubt again as there was only one lead change in a 25-19, 25-12, 25-14 sweep of the Bearkats to improve Texas State to 5-0.

Texas State started slow, falling as far behind as 16-9 before turning it around. Down 17-11, the Bobcats came alive, going on the 11-0 run that changed the match in the early going to grab a 22-17 lead in the first set before Sam Houston State could answer.

Ashlee Hilbun paced the Bobcats on the run, hitting for three kills during the stretch. She would finish the match with eight kills and no errors for an outstanding .667 hitting percentage. Caylin Mahoney hit two kills while Shelby Vas Matt served up an ace and joined Alexandra Simms with a kill each for the Bobcats during the 11-0 stretch. Simms and Hilbun teamed up for two blocks to help turn the set in Texas State's favor.

After the Bearkats finally answered, Hilbun and Simms both struck powerful kills before Amari Deardorff and Molly Ahrens combined for a set-sealing block to put Texas State up, 1-0 in the match.

The Bobcats carried that momentum into the second set for a convincing win, 25-12. After going up 2-0, Texas State used a 4-0 run to push the lead to 6-2, then went on runs of six and three to make it 16-6 and suck the life out of Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville. From that point, it was just a matter of time before the Bobcats would take the 2-0 lead with a 25-12 win in the second set.

In the third set, Texas State really applied the pressure, hitting .464 as a team. The Bobcats continued to score points in bunches, going on a 7-1 run to open a two-point lead, 10-8, to an eight-point lead, 17-9. Then Texas State used a 4-0 run to close out the set and the match.

Deardorff hit for 11 kills with a .500 hitting percentage to lead all players, but she received plenty of support. In addition to Hilbun's efficient eight kills, Simms helped spark the Bobcats. Coming into the match in the first set and playing the rest of the way, Simms hit for eight kills and just two errors with a .273 percentage while also notching two aces. Ali Gonzales also chipped in two aces while Vas Matt and Mahoney each had one as well.

Mahoney gave out 26 assists to lead both teams while also tallying 10 digs and five kills. Vas Matt stepped up to provide seven kills with just two errors and nine digs. Defensively, Vas Matt tallied three block assists while Hilbun and Ahrens were in on four each. Libero Sierra Smith led all players with 14 digs.

The strong Texas State defense only allowed Sam Houston State a meager .072 hitting percentage while the Bobcats finished the match at .378. Texas State held SHSU's top offensive threat and defending Southland Conference Player of the Year, Devene Wells-Gibson, to a negative hitting percentage of -.071. In fact, the Bobcats held the top three offensive Bearkats to a combined -.043 hitting percentage.

Texas State's next action will come at the North Texas Invitational in Denton. The Bobcats will face Northwestern State and Utah at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Friday before facing Prairie View A&M and host North Texas at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.