SAN MARCOS, Texas – The 2020 volleyball season is here for Texas State who will open its campaign with a doubleheader on Friday, Sept. 4 against Central Arkansas at 10:30 a.m. and Stephen F. Austin (SFA) at 6:30 p.m. inside Shelton Gym in Nacogdoches, Texas.
 
The Bobcats are the reigning Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament champions after boasting a 24-9 overall record, including a 14-2 conference mark. The Bobcats reached the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season for the first time in program history. Although the team opens the season on the road, TXST will begin the season with a 14-match winning streak at home.
 
Texas State will return 13 student-athletes from last year's team and will be led by the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Year, junior Emily DeWalt. DeWalt handed out 10.22 assists per set last year that ranked No. 3 in the Sun Belt (No. 65 in the nation) and had a total of 1,196 total assists that was No. 3 in the conference and No. 39 in the NCAA. She also had 38 aces. The Bobcats will also return 2019 All-Sun Belt selections in senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott and junior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald. Scott ranked second in the Sun Belt with 1.10 blocks per set, third with 114 total blocks and fifth with a .334 hitting percentage in 2019. Scott was also named to the All-Sun Belt tournament team after setting a new Sun Belt Conference record with 10 blocks in a three-set match vs. Troy on Nov. 23, 2019. Fitzgerald who is actually a two-time All-Sun Belt selection, had a .284 hitting percentage behind 275 total kills (2.84/set) and also logged 62 blocks in 2019.
 
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS
The Sugar Bears are coming off a 16-14 overall record in 2019 and put together a 10-6 mark in Southland Conference play. The team earned the fifth seed in the conference tournament after ending the regular season on a seven-match winning streak, but was defeated on their home floor in the first round by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in straight sets.
 
Junior right side Madi Bowels is the top returning hitter with 2.72 kills per set (337 total kills) behind a .316 hitting percentage. Across from her is junior outside hitter Lexi Miller who finished the year with a 2.78 kills per set and totaled 247 total kills. Senior setter Bailey Waddington will be the lead director for the offense and will look to capitalize on her junior year where she averaged 5.64 assists per set (671 total) and had 21 aces. Finally, senior middle blocker Amari Mitchell returns to the team after leading the Sugar Bears with 0.84 blocks per set (81 total) and hit .277 on the season with a total of 166 kills (1.71/set).
 
UCA will enter 2020 with 10 returners and eight newcomers with six of them being freshmen.
 
SCOUTING SFA
The Lady Jacks claimed its third-straight Southland Conference Championship after completing consecutive undefeated seasons in conference play. They went on to win the conference tournament, making another appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they fell in the first round to USC in straight sets. In 2019, SFA had a 31-2 overall record and was a perfect 9-0 on its home floor.
 
Although the club lost four of their top hitters from a season ago, the Lady Jacks will return the 2019 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, senior middle blocker Taya Mitchell who led the Southland with 1.48 blocks per set and 164 total blocks, marks that ranked No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, in the nation. Mitchell is joined by sophomore outside hitter Ariana Pagan who turned in 117 kills and 20 aces in 2019, and senior defensive specialist Madelynn Miller who led the league with 5.31 digs per set (No. 16 in the NCAA) to round out the top three returners.
 
SFA will have a total of 10 returners, however, they will be a younger team with nine of their 11 newcomers being freshmen.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State leads Central Arkansas in the all-time series 4-3 and have won the last two matches. The Bobcats and Sugar Bears last met in 2011 when the maroon and gold took the match in five sets in Conway, Ark. Friday's meeting will be the first on a neutral floor. The Bobcats also lead the all-time series vs. SFA 52-26-1, a series that dates back to 1970. TXST holds a 15-9 advantage when playing in Nacogdoches and overall, have won the last 10 matches in the series.
 
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