SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Texas State volleyball program will take the court inside Strahan Arena for the final time this regular season when the Bobcats take on Little Rock and Arkansas State this weekend. 

Texas State (14-11, 10-2) will begin the weekend by facing off with the Trojans on Friday, Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. CT. The Bobcats, for the first time this season, will play a conference match on Sunday when they close out the home portion of their regular-season schedule against Arkansas State on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. CT. 

Prior to Sunday's match, the program will honor four student-athletes (Kenedi Rutherford, Tyeranee Scott, Kayla Granado and Brooke Johnson) as part of its senior festivities. The program will also honor its championship-winning teams from 1991 and 2011 as part of its Alumni Weekend festivities. 

LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS

For the 17th time in her Texas State playing career, senior setter Emily DeWalt was named the Sun Belt Conference's Setter of the Week earlier this week. DeWalt has picked up the award the last three straight weeks and, as a result, is now the conference's all-time leader in times having won the award after passing Arkansas State's Mallory Wrrington (2013-16) last week.

Speaking of milestones, senior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald is three kills shy of becoming just the eighth student-athlete in program history to be credited with 1,300-or-more kills for her career. With eight kills this weekend, Fitzgerald will pass Lucretia Hamilton (1992-95) for eighth on the program's all-time kills list. Elizabeth Nwoke (2002-05) would be next at 1,329 kills. 

Texas State will enter the weekend's two-match tilt leading the Sun Belt Conference in assists per set (12.57), hitting percentage (.239) and kills per set (13.52). Also in the top five among conference ranks is Tessa Marshall as her .316 hitting percentage ranks third among SBC student-athletes. Jada Gardner (3.13) and Janell Fitzgerald (3.05) are ranked seventh and 10th, respectively, in the conference in kills per set. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Arkansas State is anchored by one of the best offensive threats in the Sun Belt Conference. Macey Putt finds her name atop the conference's statistical standings in attacks per set (12.86), kills per set (4.37), points (478.5), points per set (4.83), total attacks (1,273) and total kills (433). Defensively, the Red Wolves have the nation's leader in total digs in Tatum Ticknor, who has 553 digs through this point of the season. 

The Jansen's are the fuel that powers Little Rock's engine this season. Laure and Laura Jansen lead the Trojans in eight different statistical categories with Laura second in another and Laure fourth in one. Laure leads the team in aces per set (0.36) and service aces (31). Laura paces her squad in attacks per set (11.55), kills per set (4.00), points (407.5), points per set (4.63), total attacks (1,016) and total kills (352). 
 
Both Arkansas State and Little Rock enter this weekend's conference schedule with identical 14-11, 5-8 records. The Red Wolves are fourth in the league's West Division, while the Trojans are fifth after Arkansas State knocked off Little Rock, 3-1, in Little Rock on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

SERIES HISTORY

On Friday, Oct. 15, Texas State knocked off Little Rock, 3-0, in Little Rock, Ark., as four Bobcats finished with double-digit kills with Jada Gardner leading the way with 18. The following night, TXST knocked off Arkansas State, 3-0, in Jonesboro, Ark.

Dating back to the 2015 season, Texas State has won 13 of the last 14 matches against Little Rock en route to holding a 15-5 all-time lead in the series history. The Bobcats have won 22 of the last 24 sets played against the Trojans dating back to the fifth set of a 3-2 win on Nov. 17, 2018.

Texas State has now won its last five straight matches against Arkansas State to extend its all-time record over the Red Wolves to 14-10. In matches played against the Red Wolves in San Marcos, the Bobcats are 6-3 with wins in their last six straight matches. 

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