BOONE, N.C. – Despite a strong third set to try to stay alive, Texas State fell to Appalachian State on the road in three sets, 25-21, 25-23, 32-30. The match was hotly contested throughout the second and third sets, but the Bobcats weren't able to come out on top at the end, dropping to 19-12 overall and 14-5 in Sun Belt Conference play.
 
Alexandra Simms paced the Bobcats offensively with one of her most efficient matches of the season. She finished with a team-high 11 kills and just two errors on 24 attempts for a .375 hitting percentage. Jordan Kohl added nine kills in support.
 
All three Texas State setters saw action Thursday night, but it was Caylin Mahoney who led the team in assists with 17. Jordan Moore added 12 while Ali Gonzales finished with four. Sierra Smith led the team in digs with 14 while Shelby Vas Matt and Mahoney combined for 22 digs.
 
The Texas State blocking came alive in the third set as the Bobcats tallied six blocks in the final frame to finish the match with nine. Lauren Kirch and Kohl led the Bobcats defensively at the net with five block assists each while Amanda Watkins and Kelsey Weynand were in on two each. Both Simms and Brooke Smith put down a solo block.
 
The Bobcats couldn't get much going in the opening set. Texas State finished the opening frame with 12 kills but seven errors to hit .125. Appalachian State put down 14 kills with five errors for a .196 hitting percentage, led by Jess Keller with five first-set kills. Simms and Kohl led the Bobcats with three kills apiece.
 
Texas State came out with more enthusiasm in the second set and it paid off. The Bobcats put down their first block of the match when Kohl and Watkins put one down for a 3-2 Texas State lead. The Bobcats continued to pour it on behind the offense of Kohl to build a four-point lead early in the set, 12-8.
 
Appalachian State began to close the gap, however, and pulled within one point, 14-13. From there, the Bobcats used kills from Brooke Smith and Simms to push the lead back up to five points, 20-15. The Mountaineers called a timeout at that point and came out to score six consecutive points after the timeout for a 21-20 Appalachian State lead. The Bobcats wouldn't lead the second set again as the Mountaineers closed out the frame, 25-23.
 
In the third set, Texas State refused to go down easily, fighting at the end of the match to push the final score to 32-30. Both teams continued to go at each other until Appalachian State finally scored the last point. Simms finished with five kills in the final frame.
 
Texas State will continue the team's road trip with a match at Georgia Southern at 12 p.m. Central Standard Time. After that, the Bobcats will return home and begin preparation for the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament to begin Thursday in San Marcos.