SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Texas State volleyball program will look to continue its winning ways in Sun Belt action when the Bobcats (12-11, 8-2) travel to the state of Georgia to play Georgia Southern and Georgia State.
Texas State's matchup in Statesboro, Ga., against the Eagles will begin at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 29, while the Bobcats' match against the Panthers in Atlanta will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 30.
LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS
Texas State senior setter
Emily DeWalt, the reigning two-time Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Week, enters this weekend's two volleyball matches ranked second in the league with a 10.71 assists per set average. Only Troy's Amara Anderson has a higher average at 10.75. In 48 sets played this season, DeWalt has been credited with 514 assists.
Texas State will come into this weekend's two volleyball matches ranked 75th in the nation with a 13.26 kills per set average. The clip is the highest among Sun Belt Conference teams as Little Rock is 89th with a 13.15 average. The Bobcats have totaled 1,074 total kills in 81 sets played so far this season.
Against App State, graduate outside hitter
Jada Gardner recorded her third 20-plus kill match as she finished with 20 kills on .333 hitting percentage. Gardner enters this weekend having been credited with 10-or-more kills in a match in her last four straight matches and five of her last six. In 10 conference games this season, Gardner has recorded double-digit kills in six matches.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Georgia Southern returns to the court for the first time on Friday, Oct. 29 against Texas State for the first time since beating Arkansas State in three sets on Saturday, Oct. 23. Wins over ULM, Louisiana, App State, Arkansas State and Georgia State —twice — have helped the Eagles earn a 6-4 record in Sun Belt Conference action and 13-7 overall on the season. Georgia State enters this weekend with a 10-3 record in volleyball matches played inside Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Ga.
Georgia State enters its two-match weekend swing against UTA and Texas State with a 5-15, 2-8 record. In Sun Belt Conference play, the Panthers have knocked off both Troy (Saturday, Oct. 16) and Arkansas State (Friday, Oct. 22) in four sets. In its last six losses, Georgia State has pushed its opponents — App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern (twice), South Alabama and Little Rock — to five sets in each match.
Georgia Southern and Georgia State both rank in the top half of the Sun Belt Conference in opponent hitting percentage. Through 76 sets played this season, the Eagles allow their opponents to hit .170 percent (917 kills and 446 errors on 2,767 total attacks, which is good enough for the fourth-lowest percentage in the conference. Two slots away, the Panthers allow their opponents to hit .187 (1,067 kills and 490 errors on 3,087 total attack).
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State holds a 7-0 all-time record against Georgia Southern dating back to the first matchup in series history on Oct. 25, 2014. The Bobcats have lost only one set — the first set of a four-set win in Statesboro, Ga., on Oct. 5, 2018 — in seven matches against Georgia Southern. In games played in Statesboro, Ga., Texas State is 3-0 against the Eagles.
Texas State's current eight-match winning streak over Georgia State has helped the Bobcats claim an 11-2 all-time record against the Panthers dating back to the two program's first meeting on Sept. 3, 1994. Texas State has won the last 10 consecutive sets against Georgia State en route to claiming 24 of the last 28 sets dating back to the Bobcats' last loss on Oct. 17, 2014.
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