SAN MARCOS, Texas –Texas State (24-8) will make it's 11th NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend and will open the single-elimination tournament with a first-round 4:30 p.m. match on Dec. 5 at Gregory Gym vs. UC Santa Barbara (22-5). It is the Bobcats' first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004-05.
 
For the second consecutive year, the Bobcats opening round match will be hosted by Texas who is the No. 2 seed this year. The winner of Thursday's match will advance to Friday's 7 p.m. second-round tilt against the winner of Thursday's 7 p.m. draw between Texas (21-3) and Albany (16-10). The Bobcats are a combined 20-51-2 all-time vs. this group of teams (0-1 vs. Albany; 20-47-2 vs. Texas; 0-3 vs. UC Santa Barbara).
 
The first and second-round matches will be streamed on the Longhorn Network and live stats will be provided at texastatebobcat.com.
 
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
Texas State is the Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament champions for the second straight season. After posting a 14-2 conference record, the Bobcats went on to sweep Troy in the semifinals and defeated Coast Carolina 3-1 in the championship to secure the automatic bid.
 
The Bobcats rank No. 24 in the NCAA with a .163 opponent hitting percentage thanks to 241 total blocks (2.11/set). Offensively, the Bobcats hit .236 and average 12.94 kills per set, 12.03 assists per set, and 1.55 aces per set.
 
The 2019 All-Sun Belt First Team selection and tournament's Most Outstanding Player Cheyenne Huskey leads the Bobcats with 3.68 kills and 0.48 aces per set (No. 19 in the NCAA). Huskey's 54 total aces rank No. 14 in the nation and she also adds 2.25 digs per set and 65 total blocks. Sophomore setter and 2019 Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Year Emily DeWalt directs the offense with 10.25 assists per set and has 37 aces this season (0.33/set). DeWalt's 1,158 total assists are No. 38 in the nation and she also contributes 75 kills, 50 blocks, and 2.31 digs per set to her season totals.
 
Other key players for the Bobcats consist of junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott and sophomore outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald. Both were selected to the All-Sun Belt Second Team. Scott paces the team with 1.12 blocks per set (114 total blocks) and a .333 hitting percentage. In 102 sets played, Scott has 197 total kills. Fitzgerald is second on the team with 2.83 kills per set and has 60 total blocks in 2019.
 
SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA
The Bobcats aspire to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season but will have to get past the Gauchos who have a No. 34 RPI ranking, four slots behind the Bobcats. UCSB finished third in the Big West Conference with a 12-4 conference record and received an at-large bid to make its first appearance in the tournament since 2013. They are one of three schools from the Big West to make the tournament, joining league champion and 12th seeded Hawai'i, and at-large selection Cal Poly.
 
UCSB led the Big West in assists per set (12.90), kills per set (13.82), and hitting percentage (.255), all of which ranks No. 31, 32 and 37 in the NCAA, respectively. Defensively, the Gauchos hold opponents to a .182 hitting percentage this year and register 2.46 blocks per set. Both marks were second best in the Big West.
 
Lindsey Ruddins led the conference with 4.42 kills per set (No. 23 in the NCAA) and averages 2.62 digs per set this year. Ruddins also has 60 total blocks and seven aces. She is followed by Tallulah Froley who has 2.95 kills per set behind a .307 hitting percentage and adds 60 total blocks as well. Rowan Ennis and Deni Wilson are the defensive anchors with 1.20 and 1.05 blocks per set, respectively. Ennis has a team-high .330 hitting percentage behind 174 kills and has 17 aces. Meanwhile, Wilson has 145 total kills with a .300 attack percentage. Olivia Lovenberg and Romoni Vivao quarterback the offense with 6.21 and 4.98 assists per set, respectively. Lovenberg has 20 kills, and 19 aces on the year, while Vivao has a team-high 27 aces to go along with 18 kills.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State and UC Santa Barbara will meet for the first time since Sept. 20, 2008, and the time before that dates back to Sept. 12, 1991. The very first meeting was Sept. 8, 1988. The Gauchos won all three matches in straight sets on a neutral floor. This will be the first meeting, however, in the NCAA postseason tournament.
 
Stay updated on everything Texas State volleyball by following the team on Facebook,  Twitter, and Instagram.