Volleyball | 10/29/2014 4:26:00 PM

SAN MARCOS – After two split weekends of traveling on the front end and returning home to host an opponent on the back end, Texas State will stay on the road the whole way this weekend, facing UL Lafayette at 7 p.m. on Friday, Halloween night, and South Alabama at 12 p.m. Sunday.
 
Match 1 Info: Texas State (15-10, 10-3 SBC) at UL Lafayette (16-9, 5-8 SBC)
Site: Earl K. Long Gym – Lafayette, Ark.
Date: Friday, October 31 – 7 p.m.
 
Match 2 Info: Texas State (15-10, 10-3 SBC) at South Alabama (10-12, 5-7 SBC)
Site: Jaguar Gym – Mobile, Ala.
Date: Sunday, November 2 – 12 p.m.
 
The Series
The Bobcats haven't played either team they face this weekend many times, but holds the advantage in both series. Against UL Lafayette, Texas State is up, 8-0, in the all-time series, with the latest victory coming in a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 4. Against South Alabama, the Bobcats have a 2-1 advantage after splitting with the Jaguars last season and beating them in the last meeting, 3-0, on Sept. 25.
 
Amanda Watkins led Texas State offensively in the last meeting against UL Lafayette with nine kills on a .467 hitting percentage. Kelsey Weynand and Jordan Kohl each added eight more while three other Bobcats finished with six. Both Ali Gonzales and Jordan Moore gave out 16 assists each while Sierra Smith added eight. Moore doubled up with 10 digs while Smith led the team with 15.
 
Against South Alabama, it was Weynand who led the offensive attack, finishing with 11 kills. Shelby Vas Matt and Keeley Davis added 10 each while Gonzales gave out 26 assists and Moore dished out 18. Smith finished with 23 digs while Gonzales made it a double-double with 13 of her own.
 
On the Ragin' Cajuns
The Ragin' Cajuns won their last match, a 3-1 victory over Abilene Christian, but lost four consecutive matches before that and five of the team's previous six matches. They stand at 5-8 in the Sun Belt Conference but have an impressive overall record of 16-9.
 
Sara Mossakowski leads the team in kills with 259 for a rate of 2.70 kills per set. Chanelle Gardner and Kaylee Nemeth aren't far behind with 231 and 200 kills respectively. In fact, UL Lafayette boasts a balanced offense as Stacey Reilly has 186 kills on the year and Abby Filce has 133.
 
Andrea Hole is the only setter for UL Lafayette and has 991 assists on the season for 10.32 assists per set. She has added 30 service aces to lead the team. Mossakowski has 28 and four others are in double-digits.
 
Caitlyn Auxilien leads the team in digs (371, 3.86 per set) but three others have 200 or more while Keely Hayes also has 111 digs. The big blocker for UL Lafayette is Gardner with 82 on the year, including 18 solo. Nobody else has more than Filce's 51, but Hole does have 50 blocks.
 
On the Jaguars
South Alabama lost the team's last match on the road at Arkansas State but beat UL Monroe on Friday. Before that, however, the Jaguars lost three in a row and six of the team's last eight.
 
The Jaguars are a two-pronged offensive attack with sophomores Mechell Daniel and Jessica Lewis spurring the team forward. The duo has 258 and 230 kills respectively for 3.39 kills per set and 3.07 kills per set averages. Three other Jaguars have 100 kills or more.
 
South Alabama also runs a 6-2 rotation like Texas State, but Emily Hundt has led the way with 582 assists (7.46 per set). Emma Anderson has 248 assists (4.00 per set). Jenna Hassell has 26 aces on the season but nobody else on the squad has more than Hundt's 16. South Alabama has allowed 103 aces to opponents compared to just 86 for USA.
 
Abby Baker has 307 digs on the season while Hassell has 204. Daniel is next with 197 digs while Hundt has 167. As a team, USA has 117.5 blocks on the year compared to 171 for opponents. Nikki Gittens leads the team with 51 and Symone Stephenson has added 44. Nobody else has more than Daniel's 34.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State has been up and down lately. After going on a six-match winning streak to start Sun Belt Conference play, and going on to win eight of the team's first nine conference matches, the Bobcats have split the last four. Texas State lost to Georgia State and UALR on the road, but defended home court with wins against Arkansas State and Georgia Southern.
 
With a road record of 4-4 this season, compared to a 10-3 home record, the Bobcats will be challenged on this road trip.
 
Lauren Kirch leads the team in kills with 263, but Shelby Vas Matt has 246 and Kelsey Weynand has 206. Four more Bobcats have registered 121 kills or more so far this season. Jordan Moore and Ali Gonzales are orchestrating the offense in a 6-2 rotation. Moore has 668 assists on the year with Gonzales giving out 455.
 
The Bobcats have an overwhelming advantage in serve/receive with 129 aces on the season compared to just 82 for opponents. Sierra Smith, Kirch and Vas Matt each have 21 aces or more while Weynand and Alexandra Simms are both in double digits.
 
Smith leads the team in digs with 392, but her availability is in question this weekend after going down with an injury at UALR. Brenna Lyles will take over at libero of Smith can't go, but Lyles has 144 digs on the season, good enough for 2.72 digs per set. Four other Bobcats have 100 digs or more with Vas Matt sitting at 284 (3.02 per set).
 
Both Kirch and Amanda Watkins lead the team in blocks with 72 each. In total, nine Bobcats have registered double-digit blocks on the season for 165 for the year.
 
A Look Ahead
After this weekend, the Bobcats will get to stay home for two weeks. First, the Bobcats will host UALR on Saturday, Nov. 8. at 7:30 p.m. on a single-match week. Next, Texas State will welcome Georgia State and Troy to Strahan Coliseum before finishing the regular season on the road at Appalachian State and Georgia Southern.