SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team swept Arkansas State 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 26-24) in Sun Belt Conference action Saturday evening inside Strahan Arena.
 
The Bobcats (13-5, 4-0 Sun Belt) won their conference-leading eighth match in a row, while the Red Wolves (10-7, 2-2) suffered their second loss in as many days after having their own eight-match win streak snapped Friday night.
 
Junior Cheyenne Huskey (14 kills, 10 digs) and true freshman Emily DeWalt (43 assists, 10 digs) both finished with double-doubles, while true freshman Janell Fitzgerald (11) and senior Amy Pflughaupt (10) boasted double-digit kill totals. Junior Micah Dinwiddie had a team-best 11 digs, while true freshman Kayla Granado tied her season high with 10 digs of her own.
 
Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Carlisa May needed 43 swings to finish with 14 kills, while Macey Putt added 10 kills for A-State. Ellie Watkins tallied 32 assists, and Tatum Ticknor had a match-leading 13 digs.
 
Texas State ended the evening with match highs in kills (52-36), attack percentage (.356-.200), assists (47-35), and digs (47-34). A-State led in aces (7-3), and both sides managed five blocks.
 
SET 1
Texas State started slow but was able to win the opening period 25-22. Arkansas State initially grabbed a 10-4 advantage and maintained a four-point edge all the way to 19-15. The Bobcats took over from there, however. They used a 4-0 run to tie the set and then, after the Red Wolves won the next two points, closed on a 6-1 run to snatch the early momentum.
 
SET 2
Despite only seeing two ties and one lead change, the middle frame was just as tense as the first. Texas State held the lead for nearly the entire set after going on top 2-1, but the maroon and gold never found a cushion more than four points. A-State managed one tie at 12-12 but trailed the rest of the way after the Bobcats scored the next four points.
 
SET 3
The lead swapped back and forth in the third before Texas State was finally able to hold serve at home. TXST went ahead 7-4 early, but the visitors used a 10-2 run to climb into a 14-9 advantage. The Bobcats regrouped and pulled level at 17-17, and neither team led by more than two the rest of the way. Arkansas State swatted away the first match point faced trailing 24-23, but back-to-back kills from Huskey and sophomore Tyeranee Scott broke a 24-24 tie and ended the night in favor of the maroon and gold.

The 3-0 setback was the first in league play this season for Arkansas State. The Red Wolves were swept by a conference opponent just twice all last season, with both coming at the hands of the maroon and gold. Prior to the last three shutout losses to the Bobcats, A-State had not been swept by a Sun Belt opponent since Nov. 22, 2014.
 
Texas State has defeated the Red Wolves in eight of their last 10 meetings and now leads the all-time series 9-8. This is the first time TXST has held a lead in the series since winning the first-ever matchup in 1981.
 
The Bobcats have a quick turnaround and will wrap up their first trip through the Sun Belt West Division when UT Arlington (9-5, 3-1 Sun Belt) comes to town at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2. The contest will double as the 12th Annual Pink Match for Texas State. In conjunction with their bout with the Mavericks, TXST will take donations and hold a silent auction as part of the annual contest to help promote cancer awareness. The silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be open until the 15th point is scored in the third set. All proceeds stay local and support Pink Heals Hays County.
 
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