SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State will end its streak of consecutive Big 12 opponents against TCU at 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 18 at Strahan Arena in San Marcos, Texas, and will conclude the weekend with a match at Houston at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 20 at the Fertitta Center in Houston.
The Bobcats (27-7, 15-1 Sun Belt) have lost four consecutive matches with three of them against teams ranked in the top 10 of the country, and two of them being against No. 2 Texas. The Bobcat offense registers a 2.42 hitting percentage and averages 13.62 kills on 12.72 assists per set. They also average 1.19 aces per set (142 total). On the defensive side of the net, the team has 2.06 blocks and 16.21 digs per set.
Junior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald joined the 1,000-kill club with the Bobcats against No. 2 Texas on Tuesday, March 16, and leads the Bobcats with 3.53 kills per set (.321) and has 416 total kills this season. She is 69 kills away from breaking into the top five of the program's record book for the most kills in a single season. Fitzgerald has 89 total blocks (0.75 per set), including 19 solo blocks.
Junior setter Emily DeWalt directs the offense with 10.72 assists per set and has a total of 1,265 helpers this season. DeWalt ranks No. 5 in the program's record book with 3,731 career assists, and averages 3.01 digs per set, and has a total of 91 kills (.301), 53 blocks (four solos), and 17 aces.
Senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott paces TXST with 99 total blocks (0.92 per set) and has 21 solo blocks this year. Scott also leads the team with a .354 hitting percentage behind 2.58 kills per set and contributes 38 digs and two aces to her season statistics.
SCOUTING TCU
The Horned Frogs (1-14, 1-11 Big 12) are nursing a 12-match losing streak, including a loss to the Bobcats earlier this spring. Most recently, they lost two matches in four sets against Kansas at home. TCU will hit the road for the first time since Feb. 25 and are 0-7 as the visiting team this season. This season, TCU is hitting .163 and gives up a .291 hitting percentage to their opponents. They also average 12.29 kills, 11.37 assists, 0.90 aces (53 total), 1.56 blocks, and 13.93 digs per set.
Sophomore outside hitter Julia Adams paces TCU with 3.48 kills per set and is followed by sophomore middle blocker Afedo Manyang's 2.67 kills per set. Manyang also has 22 total blocks this season, but her classmate and counterpart MyKayla Myers lead the team with 39 blocks (0.71/set), including five solos, and has six aces this season. Sophomore setter McKenzie Nichols leads the team with 9.46 assists per set and has 17 kills, 16 blocks, and seven aces this season. Senior libero Dani Dennison leads the defense with 4.14 digs per set and has a team-best 16 aces.
SCOUTING HOUSTON
The Cougars (12-2, 8-0 AAC) won The American Athletic Conference West Division championship title with their latest sweep over Memphis on Saturday, March 13. It is their first title since joining the league and boast an 8-0 record in conference play for the first time since 2000. After hosting No. 6 Baylor at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, UH will have its home season-finale against the Bobcats. Houston is 8-1 on its home floor entering the weekend and is on a four-match winning streak thanks to their defense that holds its opponents to a .175 clip and averages 2.11 blocks and 16.13 digs per set.
Offensively, sophomore outside hitter Abbie Jackson leads the club with 4.70 kills per set and 20 total aces. Freshman setter Annie Cooke averages 11.07 assists per set and has 41 kills, 14 aces, and 14 blocks, and sophomore middle blocker Rachel Tullos paces the team at the net with 1.05 blocks per set. Junior libero Torie Fredrick is another standout defender with 5.13 digs per set and has 11 aces this season.
SERIES HISTORY
Texas State leads TCU in the all-time series 7-3 and is 6-2 when hosting the Horned Frogs.
The Bobcats and Cougars will meet for the first time since 2015. Houston has the edge in the all-time series 29-11, but the Bobcats are on a three-match winning streak in head-to-head meetings, including a four-set victory at Houston on Aug. 30, 2015.
Stay updated on everything Texas State volleyball by following the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
-- TXSTATEBOBCATS.COM --
