SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State opens its spring schedule with a match against I-35 rival UTSA at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at the UTSA Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.

A live stream of the match will be available on CUSA TV for a fee. Live stats are available here. 

The Bobcats are coming off a 24-2 fall record highlighted by a 15-1 Sun Belt Conference mark. The team claimed its third consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament title with a five-set victory over Coastal Carolina to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament this upcoming April. TXST concluded the fall ranked No. 11 in the AVCA Fall Division I Top-15 Poll and is currently receiving 18 votes in the AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Bobcats began the spring season receiving 39 votes in the preseason poll.

Junior setter Emily DeWalt headline the team roster and was named the Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Year, and was All-Sun Belt First Team for the third consecutive year. DeWalt totaled 1,025 assists in the fall (11.26 per set) and rank No. 5 in the program's record book with 3,491 career assists. DeWalt is 793 assists away from moving to No. 4 all-time, a spot currently held by Natalie Spam (4,283). DeWalt also averaged 3.35 digs per set and totaled 72 kills (.319), 41 blocks (four solos), and 16 aces.

Senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott was another 2020 All-Sun Belt First Team selection for the Bobcats and was named the 2020 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Last time out, Scott turned in a career-high 18 kills and had eight blocks in the tournament championship match, and overall, Scott finished the fall with a team-high .352 hitting percentage and averaged 2.57 kills per set, and paced the team with 0.99 blocks per set (82 total blocks). 

Junior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald rounded out the Bobcats' 2020 All-Sun Belt First Team honorees and ended the fall leading the team with 3.75 kills per set and averaged 0.88 blocks per set with 80 total blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Teske was the final All-Sun Belt selection as she was named to the second-team behind 2.24 kills, 2.51 digs per set, totaled 33 blocks, and had 24 aces this season. 

The Bobcats are one of three Sun Belt Conference teams currently playing this spring. They are joined by UT Arlington, who is 2-2 this spring, and Georgia Southern, who is 0-2. TXST will play its first six matches on the road this season. The Bobcats were 9-0 in matches played on the road last fall and will enter the spring on a four-match winning streak.    

SCOUTING UTSA
The Roadrunners (2-3) are coming off a pair of losses at SMU this past weekend. After being swept in the first match, UTSA pushed the second match to five sets but fell 15-8 in the final set. This spring, the team is hitting .222 behind 12.6 kills per set and defensively average 15.9 digs, and has a total of 30 blocks. The Roadrunners' opponents hit .274 in the five matches.

Sophomore outside hitter Hunter Coppola leads the team with 2.91 kills over 22 sets. She also has five blocks and four aces. Sophomore outside hitter Bianca Ejesieme follows with 2.50 kills per set (.221) and paces the team with 0.77 blocks per set (15 total). Sophomore setter Courtney Walters hands out 9.55 assists per set and leads the team with 10 aces, and junior defensive specialist Mia Ybarra anchors the defense with 5.23 digs per set. 

SERIES HISTORY
Texas State leads UTSA in the all-time series 59-14 and will enter the match Wednesday on a three-match winning streak and has won eight of the last 10 matches. The last meeting between the clubs was in 2019, with the Bobcats defeating the Roadrunners 3-1 at Strahan Arena.

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