CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In the opening match of the Islander Classic Thursday night, Texas State showed the resiliency that comes with playing a tough non-conference schedule to start the season. The Bobcats rallied from a two-set deficit to force a fifth set, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi edged Texas State by two points to take the match.
AMCC (4-5) raced out to a 15-7 lead midway through the match's opening set, before Texas State (2-9) started to rally back. The Bobcats fought back to get to within two at 23-21, but the Islanders reeled off back-to-back points to close the set. The Islanders opened the second set with an 11-1 run and never looked back.
The flip was switched in the third set as after Texas State took an 8-7 lead, the Bobcats went on a 7-2 run that eventually became a 20-14 advantage. The Islanders tried to turn the tables, but
Caitlan Buettner and
Courtney Heiser combined for the final three kills to extend the match.
Much like the third set, AMCC cut its deficit to one at 14-13, but Texas State answered with an 11-2 run to send the match into a fifth set. The fifth set went back and forth as both teams traded the lead and never got more than two points ahead. With the score tied 12-12, the Islanders used a kill and three Bobcat errors to win the match.
FROM HEAD COACH SEAN HUIET
"I'm proud of the way our young women were able to fight back tonight and force a fifth set. The energy Brooke (Johnson) and Courtney (Heiser) brought off the bench really turned things around for us during those middle sets."
STAT LEADERS
SCORES BY SET
- 1st | AMCC 25, Texas State 21
- 2nd | AMCC 25, Texas State 7
- 3rd | Texas State 25, AMCC 20
- 4th | Texas State 25, AMCC 15
- 5th | AMCC 15, Texas State 13
MATCH NOTES
- Jillian Slaughter made her season debut Thursday night when she appeared off the bench during the match's second set. She was credited with her first kill of the season, too, when she buried a Ryann Torres set across the net and between two Islander defenders.
- Like Slaughter, Emily Smylie made her 2021 fall debut after playing only seven sets as a true freshman throughout the 2020-21 seasons. She subbed in off the best late in the second set and played the remaining five rallies of the set.
- The Bobcat trio of Jada Gardner, Tessa Marshall and Caitlan Buettner all record at least one statistic in five different categories Thursday night. Gardner finished with six kills, two assists, two service aces, two block assists and five digs. Marshall had seven kills, two assists, one service ace, three block assists and three digs. Buettner ended her night with 15 kills, two assists, two service aces, one block assist and six digs.
UP NEXT
- Texas State will conclude its stay in Corpus Christi on Friday, Sept. 17 when the Bobcats conclude the Islander Classic against UTEP at 10:30 a.m., before playing Tarleton State at 3:30 p.m.
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
