SAN MARCOS, Texas — With one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation now in the past, the Texas State volleyball program will begin its hunt for a fourth-consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship in Alabama this weekend.
Texas State (4-9) will play its first conference opponent this season on Friday, Sept. 24 when the Bobcats visit Troy (7-4) at 6 p.m. The following day, TXST will play at South Alabama (7-5) at 6 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS
Texas State junior middle blocker
Tessa Marshall enters this weekend's conference action with 46.0 total blocks. That figure has Marshall, who had 11 total blocks in five sets against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, Sept. 16, sitting atop the Sun Belt Conference in total blocks. Since Texas State's home-opening win over Alabama on Friday, Sept. 10, Marshall has been credited with 33 total blocks, including 10 against the Crimson Tide.
Under head coach
Sean Huiet, Texas State is 19-1 against Sun Belt Conference teams in both the regular and postseason. Last season, the Bobcats opened the season with a 15-game conference winning streak before being upended by UTA in three sets on the final day of the regular season. Texas State knocked off ULM in three sets (25-13, 25-16, 25-18) to begin conference action 363 days ago. TXST has won its last three consecutive conference-opening matches dating back to a three-set loss on Sept. 22, 2017, against South Alabama.
Texas State senior outside hitter
Janell Fitzgerald, the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, enters the weekend slate with 1,158 career kills. Fitzgerald sits 14th on the program's all-time career kill list and is 16 behind Stephanie Winn (1988-91) for 13th place. Fitzgerald is 97 kills shy of breaking into the top 10.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Texas State isn't the only Sun Belt Conference volleyball program to knock off a Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent (Alabama) this season. Troy, which enters tomorrow's matchup with a 7-4 record, has knocked off Alabama (four sets) and LSU (five) this season. The Trojans also beat Virginia Tech in four sets on Friday, Sept. 10.
South Alabama brings a .583 winning percentage (7-5) into the weekend after dropping its last two matches against Mississippi State and Syracuse last weekend. The Jaguars picked up wins over Southern Miss and Nicholls State during the Jacksonville State Invitational two weekends ago.
South Alabama (fourth) and Troy (fifth) sit in the top five on the Sun Belt Conference's hitting percentage list. The Jaguars have hit .222 (576 kills and 214 errors in 1,634 total attacks) in 46 sets, while the Trojans are a tick lower at .219 percentage (545 kills and 240 errors in 1,395 total attacks) in 41 sets played.
SERIES HISTORY
Since its first matchup against Troy on Aug. 30, 1997, Texas State is 13-0 against the Trojans with only one match going five sets (Sept. 27, 2014). When the two programs linked up during last season's conference tournament, it marked the first four-set match since Oct. 22, 2015. In games played in Troy, Texas State has won 15 of 19 total sets.
The series history between South Alabama and Texas State dates back to Oct. 20, 2013, when the Bobcats beat the Jaguars in five sets in San Marcos. The Bobcats, which lead the all-time series 10-3, have won their last three matches — dropping just two sets — over South Alabama. However, TXST is just 3-2 all time in matches played in Mobile.
FOLLOW US
For the latest information on the program, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
