Volleyball | 11/7/2014 3:11:00 PM

SAN MARCOS – Texas State welcomes the Sun Belt Conference's leading volleyball team, the UALR Trojans, for a match at Strahan Coliseum at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
 
Match Info: Texas State (17-10, 12-3 SBC) vs. UALR (21-4, 15-0 SBC)
Site: Strahan Coliseum – San Marcos, Texas
Date: Saturday, November 8 – 7:30 p.m.
 
The Series
Texas State and UALR have played to a 2-2 tied record in the all-time series. The Trojans have a 2-1 advantage in the last three matches since the Bobcats have joined the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams split two five-set matches last season, but UALR won the last meeting, 3-1, on Oct. 23 of this season.
 
Amanda Watkins led Texas State in the last meeting with 10 kills and a .529 hitting percentage. Alexandra Simms added nine more kills. Meanwhile, Ali Gonzales and Jordan Moore combined to give out 38 assists as they split setting duties. Brenna Lyles led the team in digs with 12, taking over for an injured Sierra Smith while Keeley Davis added 11 digs. Both Watkins and Lauren Kirch added three blocks apiece.
 
On the Trojans
The Trojans have won 16 consecutive matches coming into this weekend with 15 of those wins to start an undefeated Sun Belt Conference season. The Mavericks of UT Arlington will get the next chance to knock off conference-leading UALR when they play Friday night, but then it'll be Texas State's turn on Saturday.
 
Texas State will have to concentrate most on the top two outside hitters for UALR. Edina Begic leads the team with 367 kills at 4.37 kills per set and Sonja Milanovic isn't far behind with 280 kills at 3.41 kills per set. Middle blocker Edina Selimovic, however, led UALR in the last meeting between these teams with 15 kills on a .393 hitting percentage and added 11 blocks to help UALR to 14 total blocks. Begic and Milanovic added a combined 27 kills.
 
Selimovic leads the team in blocks with 115 on the year. Not far behind is Carolee Dillard with 107 blocks. Milanovic leads the team in digs with 283 (3.45 per set) while Begic has 191. Libero Capri Rino has 329 digs to lead the team, averaging 3.92 digs per set.
 
The Trojans also have an advantage in serve/receive with 126 service aces on the season compared to just 89 for opponents.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State comes into this match on fire with three consecutive wins and four victories in the team's last five matches. Most importantly, Caylin Mahoney returned to action for the Bobcats. Mahoney was named the 2014 SBC Preseason Setter of the Year and was the SBC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player last season. In her return, she led the Bobcats to their first road victories since Sept. 27.
 
For the season, Lauren Kirch leads the squad with 277 kills but Shelby Vas Matt and Kelsey Weynand each have more than 200 kills as well. Four other Bobcats have 148 kills or more. Kirch also leads the team in blocks with 85 while Amanda Watkins has 80.
 
While Jordan Moore leads the team in assists with 668 and Ali Gonzales added 455 so far this year, but in two matches Mahoney has averaged 40 assists per match. Libero Sierra Smith leads the team with 426 digs (4.26 digs per set) and Vas Matt has added 304 digs. Five other Bobcats have tallied 128 digs or more this year.
 
The Bobcats, like UALR, have an advantage in serve/receive with 140 aces on the season to just 86 for opponents.
 
A Look Ahead
Texas State is rapidly approaching the end of the regular season. Next week, the Bobcats will host Georgia State and Troy, and follow that with a road trip to face Appalachian State and Georgia Southern before returning to San Marcos to host the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend.