ATLANTA – The Texas State volleyball team earned a 3-2 (25-22, 18-25, 26-24, 14-25, 15-11) victory over Georgia State in Sun Belt Conference action Friday night inside GSU Sports Arena.
 
The victory extended the Bobcats' (14-9, 7-1 SBC) season-best win streak to five matches, and the Panthers fell to 8-12 overall and 4-5 in the league.
 
Four different Bobcats took at least 25 swings, and senior Kelsey Weynand led the way with 14 kills and 13 digs for her 14th career double-double. Junior Jaliyah Bolden added 12 kills and senior Lauren Kirch finished with 11. Freshman Micah Dinwiddie had a match-high 20 digs, and junior Erin Hoppe finished with 45 assists.
 
The opening set was initially all square at 4-4. Georgia State scored next and moved ahead by as many as four points on five separate occasions before Texas State was finally able to pull even at 17-17. The Panthers again found themselves on top 20-19, but the Bobcats won six of the last eight points to snatch the first set 25-22.
 
The Panthers moved level at one set each by claiming the second set 25-18. The two teams played to a 14-14 standstill, and it was the home side who was able to secure 11 of the final 15 points to earn its first set of the match.
 
The third set went in favor of the visitors, but it took extra points to decide the frame. Texas State looked to be in control early, as the maroon and gold led 9-3 and forced GSU to use both timeouts. The Panthers would not go down quietly, however, as they chipped away at the lead and were able to tie proceedings 22-22. The two teams exchanged the next four points, and back-to-back kills from Kirch pushed the Bobcats to the win.
 
Georgia State sent the contest into a decisive fifth set after capturing the fourth 25-14. GSU went ahead 12-6 and never allowed the Bobcats to get within five points the rest of the way.
 
The final set was tight throughout, and a quick two-point run allowed the Panthers to pull even at 10-10. Texas State closed strong and was able to secure the road win after winning five of the last six points.

Crystal Lee had a match-best 20 kills for Georgia State, Kristina Stinson finished with 14 and Anna Rantala posted 12 kills and 17 digs. Sarah Renner tallied 48 assists and 10 digs, while Celeste Friesen added 14 digs of her own.
 
The Panthers led in kills (62-54) and were able to outhit Texas State .278-.158. GSU also led in aces, 8-5. TXST led in blocks, 8-6.
 
The Bobcats have a quick turnaround for their next match, as they are set to face Georgia Southern at 5:30 p.m. (CST) Oct. 22 in Statesboro, Georgia.
 
TEXAS STATE COACH KAREN CHISUM
Opening statement…
"It's huge when your team doesn't play as good as they can but still finds a way to get the win. There's no doubt that Georgia State outplayed us tonight. They looked better than we did, but we found a way to win the right points. These road trips can be tough. You have to get on that plane and travel. You have long days and study hall in the mornings, and you know in the back of your mind that you have to play again tomorrow. Everybody has to do it, though, and I totally understand that."
 
On Georgia State…
"What we didn't expect was (Crystal Lee) coming out as hot as she did. She did a very nice job. They also served well, but we knew they were going to do that. We did not pass very well, so our middles were non-existent. We played barely good enough to win, but anytime you can win on the road, I'll take it any day of the week."
 
On how to win when getting outplayed…
"It's all about winning the right points. It's those crucial points, and not letting the other team string together points when it counts. (Georgia State) beat us in every category. I've lost matches like this when you win on paper but lose on the scoreboard, so I know how hard it is."
 
On the top performers…
"Kelsey Weynand kept us in the match. Erin Hoppe also played well enough tonight. She wasn't flashy, but when I told her who to go to, she went to them. Although her numbers weren't great, Megan Porter had huge swings there at the end. I initially didn't think Jaliyah Bolden had a great night until I looked at her numbers. She had a decent night. I'm very proud of the team, and they're proud of themselves for finding a way to win even though they didn't play as well as they could."
 
-TxStateBobcats.com-