BOONE, N.C. – A thrilling match to end the slate of Sun Belt Conference action this weekend saw Texas State (18-7, 10-1 Sun Belt) battle back to upend Appalachian State (9-14, 5-5 Sun Belt) in five sets (16-25, 24-26, 25-16, 25-11, 16-14) Sunday afternoon at the Holmes Center.
 
"We had a very slow start. But once we were down 0-2, I told the team that we've talked about character all year so let's see what we are made of," said head coach Karen Chisum. "I am extremely proud of our comeback. It was huge. We made a few lineup changes where we went to a 6-2 offense. Hats off to Riley [Fuentes] for stepping up and Caitlan [Buettner] who did a great job on blocking which we desperately needed at that point. We will enjoy this win and the weekend we had."
 
With their backs against the wall trailing 2-0 in the match, the Bobcats willed their way to victory by winning the third and fourth sets convincingly before edging the Mountaineers the fifth set. The last time Texas State fought back and won after a 2-0 deficit was on Oct. 26, 2018 vs. Louisiana at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats held the Mountaineers to a .119 hitting percentage, registered 61 digs, and matched a season-high 14 blocks in the win. Offensively, the Cats hit .255 with 64 kills and aced their opponent seven times.
 
The victory extends the Bobcats' winning streak to eight and are 7-3 all-time vs. the Mountaineers in head-to-head meetings. Sunday was the first meeting between the two clubs since the 3-0 victory for TXST in the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship match.
 
Texas State had four players register double digits in kills for the second straight contest. Sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald led the Bobcat offense by matching a season-high 18 kills (.282). Fitzgerald also had five blocks (one solo) and four digs. Junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott landed 14 kills (.429), matched her career-high of seven blocks, had three digs and recorded her first ace this season. Senior outside Cheyenne Huskey nearly had her third straight double-double with 13 kills and nine digs, but did match a career-best five blocks, including one solo block. Freshman outside hitter Lauren Teske finished with 11 kills (.281) and had five digs in the win. Sophomore setter Emily DeWalt turned in her 30th career double-double with 44 assists and 11 digs and added two aces. Junior libero Brooke Johnson led the back row with 14 digs and had a match-high three aces, while sophomore DS Kayla Granado tallied her second consecutive match with double digit-digs, finishing with 10.  
 
Senior outside hitter Emma Longley was the only Mountaineer to put up double figures with 16 kills in the loss. She also finished with four digs and four blocks including two solo blocks. Junior outside Grace Morrison followed with eight kills and matched Scott's seven blocks (three solos). Freshman setter Sammy Luscher led the team with 20 assists and finished with five digs, while her classmate and counterpart Sam Bickley had 18 assists, five digs, and a team-high three aces. Junior libero Emma Reilly led all players with 17 digs and added five assists and two aces.
 
Set 1
Texas State took its first lead of the match at 7-6 but was forced to use a timeout as they found themselves down 12-10 moments later. After exchanging a few points, Appalachian State eventually took a lead that grew as large as nine points and won the set 25-16.
 
Set 2
APP took control of the set early and led in a wire-to-wire 26-24 victory to go-ahead 2-0. The Bobcats were down 21-16 before using their first timeout of the set. Out of the break, TXST scored four unanswered that sparked a massive 8-3 run to tie the frame at 24. The Mountaineers would seal the set, however, with a kill from Longley followed by a double block by sophomore middles Anna Kincaid and Amya Giger.
 
Set 3
The Bobcats jumped out to a 3-0 start and led 6-2 before APP called a timeout. TXST's lead expanded to 17-8 thanks to a stretch of six unanswered points and later, a 5-0 burst put the Bobcats ahead 23-11. Despite the 5-2 scoring by Appalachian State, Texas State avoided the sweep with a 25-16 win.
   
Set 4
After the Mountaineers scored the first point of the stanza, the Bobcats proceeded to go on a 15-3 run to capture all of the momentum. The Maroon and Gold eventually held a 15-point margin at 22-7 and ultimately dominated the set 25-11 to force a fifth set.
 
Set 5
The fifth and deciding set featured eight ties but only two lead changes. Both teams played evenly to begin the frame, but the Bobcats created some separation at 7-4 with a 3-0 run and the teams switched sides with the visiting team holding an 8-5 advantage. APP called a timeout trailing 10-7 but forced TXST to burn a timeout after tying the set at 10. The Mountaineers and Bobcats recorded three more ties before the home team made the first lead change at 14-13, forcing the Bobcats to use their final timeout. The Cats ended the match with three unanswered points, however, starting with a kill from Teske, a solo block by freshman outside hitter Caitlan Buettner, and an attacking error by the Mountaineers for a 16-14 final.
 
The road trip continues for the Bobcats next weekend when they head to Louisiana. TXST will take on ULM at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 in Monroe, La. and then close the road portion of its 2019 regular-season schedule vs. Louisiana at noon Nov. 3 in Lafayette, La.
 
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