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SAN MARCOS – In their final tune-up before Sun Belt Conference action begins on Tuesday, the Bobcats travel to Lubbock, Texas to face Texas Tech, Incarnate Word and Gardner-Webb at the Texas Tech Invitational.
 
Match Info: Texas Tech Invitational
Site: United Supermarkets Arena – Lubbock, Texas
Date: Friday, Sept. 12 – Saturday, Sept. 13
 
Schedule:
Friday, September 12
10 a.m.             Texas State vs. Incarnate Word
6 p.m.               Texas State vs. Texas Tech
 
Saturday, September 13
10 a.m.             Texas State vs. Gardner-Webb
 
The Series
Of the three other teams Texas State will face this weekend, Gardner-Webb is the only team the Bobcats have never faced. Texas State owns a 7-0 record over Incarnate Word but the two teams haven't met since Oct. 6, 1982, a Texas State 2-0 victory.
 
The Red Raiders have the advantage in the all-time series against Texas State, 19-9-1, and came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Bobcats in five last season at Strahan Coliseum.
 
On the Cardinals
Incarnate Word has one win on the season but has dropped four in a row coming into the weekend. The Cardinals beat Jackson State with a sweep but has been swept in four of their six losses. The other two, UIW fell in four.
 
On the Red Raiders
Texas Tech is, by far, the strongest team at the Texas Tech Invitational, coming into the weekend an undefeated 6-0. The Red Raiders swept Sacred Heart, Cal State Fullerton and Texas-Pan Am while beating Lamar and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in four. Bucknell pushed Texas Tech to five.
 
On the Runnin' Bulldogs
Gardner-Webb joins Incarnate Word with just one victory on the season, a 3-0 sweep against Providence. Other than that, the Runnin' Bulldogs was swept by South Carolina, Georgia Tech and West Virginia while Jacksonville took them down in four. Gardner-Webb was able to push both Niagara and Furman to five but ultimately lost.
 
On the Bobcats
Texas State is coming off a victory against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday and have won three of the team's last four matches. One of those victories came against I-35 Rival UTSA last Friday, a 3-1 Bobcat victory.
 
Shelby Vas Matt and Lauren Kirch continue to pace the Bobcats in kills with a combined 205 between the two of them. Meanwhile, middle blocker Brooke Smith leads the squad in hitting percentage at .310 while Amanda Watkins leads the squad in blocks with 22. Kirch adds 20 blocks to the Texas State total.
 
Jordan Moore and Ali Gonzales continue to split the setting duties while Sierra Smith leads the defensive effort with a team-high 147 digs. She also has 12 aces to lead the squad.
 
A Look Ahead
After the Texas Tech Invitational, the Bobcats will welcome UT Arlington to town for the first match of Sun Belt Conference action at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. From there, Texas State will travel to Arkansas State and UL Monroe before returning home to host South Alabama on Sept. 25.