LAFAYETTE, La. – Texas State (11-1, 6-0 Sun Belt) swept No. 15 Louisiana (11-3, 5-3 Sun Belt) on Saturday afternoon at Earl K. Long Gym. It was the second sweep of the weekend for the Bobcats against the nationally ranked Ragin' Cajuns and improved the Bobcats' winning streak to eight consecutive matches.
 
Texas State registered a hitting percentage over .300 for the second time in the series, as they finished Saturday's match with a .301 hitting percentage (53-13-133). They also held Louisiana to a .187 hitting percentage. TXST totaled 52 assists, four aces, 63 digs and five blocks in the match.
 
"Today I thought our middles were really good," said head coach Sean Huiet. "Kudos to Emily [DeWalt] for finding them as much as she did. Our defense led by Kayla Granado and Brooke Johnson were also really good. Brooke's numbers on paper do not show what she is doing for this team. We go on scoring runs when she is on the court and that's huge for us. Overall, I cannot say enough about my staff and how they had the team ready. As much as we did not enjoy being off from competition, the time to prepare for this weekend was great. So many players stepped up, but my game ball winner is Kenedi Rutherford for how she stepped right in for Caitlan Buettner. We have a lot of depth and trust that anyone can be on the court and our goals be unshaken. This weekend proved that."
 
Senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott matched a team-high 11 kills, hitting .429 in the match (11-2-21). Scott recorded the final three kills of the third set to help the Bobcats complete the comeback and clinch the sweep. Junior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald also had 11 kills (.212), logged a match-high three blocks, and added two digs, and an assist in the win. The Bobcats offense was distributed beautifully as six players turned in five or more kills, including junior setter Emily DeWalt who had a career-best .600 hitting percentage (min. 10 attacks) after having six kills on 10 errorless swings. DeWalt also turned in her 40th career double-double with 41 assists and a match-high 15 digs. She also added one ace. Sophomore outside Lauren Teske had nine kills to go along with 12 digs, a team-best two aces, and one solo block, while junior middle blocker Jillian Slaughter and junior outside hitter Kenedi Rutherford each had eight kills. Slaughter hit .444 on 18 perfect swings, and finished with three digs and two blocks, and Rutherford added a career-high six digs with one solo block.
 
Not one Ragin' Cajun player finished with 10 or more kills. Senior outside hitter Hali Wisnoskie led the team for the first time this weekend with nine kills and had two of the team's five aces. Kara Barnes followed with eight kills and had two blocks, and Kelsey Bennett recorded seven kills and seven digs. Senior setter Avery Breaux concluded the match with 30 assists and nine digs, and senior libero Hannah Ramirez led Louisiana with 13 digs.
 
The Bobcats are now 21-2 all-time vs. Louisiana and are 8-2 when playing in Lafayette.
 
Set 1
The Bobcats came out hot by scoring the first four points and built an 8-3 advantage before the Ragin' Cajuns screamed uncle. Louisiana could not make a dent in the deficit and Texas State won the opening frame convincingly, 25-15. Texas State hit .279 as a unit and was led by Slaughter and Teske who each had four kills.   
 
Set 2
Texas State started the stanza with five unanswered points and Louisiana burned its first timeout trailing 9-4. Out of the break, Louisiana scored four of the next six points and trimmed the lead to as many as three points multiple times, but a Bobcat 4-1 run made the score 18-12 and forced the Ragin' Cajuns to use their final timeout of the set. Both teams exchanged points to 23-18 and TXST won two of the final three points with a kill from Teske and a service error by the Ragin' Cajuns for a 25-20 score.
 
Set 3
There were no ties or lead changes in the match until the third set which featured 12 ties and six lead changes. The Maroon and Gold scored first, but a 3-0 run gave the Ragin' Cajuns an early 6-4 advantage. The Bobcats tied the set at seven and regained the lead, but La. continued to fight and used a 5-0 burst to grab a 16-13 lead and, in the process, forced TXST to use its first timeout of the match. Louisiana held its lead to the tune of 23-20 and the Bobcats used their final timeout. After that team meeting however, the visiting team switched to another gear and closed the match on a 6-1 run, highlighted by scoring the final four points to win set 26-24. Scott was responsible for three kills and Teske had an ace to make up the final four points.
 
UP NEXT
Texas State will return to Strahan Arena on Oct. 23-24 for a three-match series vs. Little Rock in San Marcos, Texas.
 
Stay updated on everything Texas State volleyball by following the team on Facebook,  Twitter, and Instagram.