SAN MARCOS, Texas — After splitting a pair of matches in Alabama last week, the Texas State volleyball program returns home to San Marcos to continue its Sun Belt Conference schedule as the ULM Warhawks and Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns come to town. 

Both matches will begin at 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+. 

Friday night's match against ULM will also represent Texas State's annual pink match to support the stage IV breast cancer community. The Bobcats have teamed up with The Side-Out Foundation's 2021-22 Dig Pink Movement. Donations will be accepted at the door and donation buckets will also be passed around when Texas State is credited with a service ace during the match. 

Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the cause. For those unable to attend, but would still like to donate, click here. 

LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS

Texas State junior middle blocker Tessa Marshall enters this weekend's conference matches with 52.0 total blocks, which puts Marshall atop the conference in total blocks. The 6-foot-1, Round Rock native sits just outside the top 100 in Division I volleyball as her 52.0 total blocks places Marshall 107th in the nation in blocks. Marshall and Georgia State's Meisheia Griffin (51) are the only student-athletes in the Sun Belt Conference with 50-or-more total blocks so far this season. 

Out of 332 Division I teams ranked, the Texas State volleyball program ranks 61st in team kills with 675, which also ranks as the second-most kills in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State is the only conference team with more kills than the Bobcats as the Red Wolves have been credited with 751 kills so far this season. 

Texas State also sits as the 61st team in the nation and second squad in the conference in team assists. Texas State has been credited with 622 assists through 15 matches play this season. Only Arkansas State (701) has more team assist than the Bobcats among Sun Belt Conference teams. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

ULM enters Friday night's match as the only team in the conference to sit in the bottom three in both hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage. The Warhawks have hit .160 percent (616 kills in 2,025 total attacks with 291 errors) in 56 sets, while allowing opponents to hit .229 percent (703 kills and 253 errors in 1,969 total attacks) in 56 sets played. 

Louisiana travels to San Marcos this weekend as the No. 1 team in the Sun Belt Conference when it comes to hitting percentage. Through 45 sets this season, the Ragin' Cajuns had been credited with 552 kills in 1,443 total attacks while committing only 176 errors for a .261 hitting percentage. Georgia Southern is second on the list with a .247 clip. 

ULM and Louisiana will bring three of the conference's top 10 point-scoring student-athletes to Strahan Arena this weekend. ULM's Cali Assaley has scored the third-most points among Sun Belt Conference student-athletes with 197.5 points (192 kills, one service ace, one block solo, seven block assists) and a 3.80 points per set average. Louisiana's Kelsey Bennett is fifth in the conference with 182.5 points (164 points, 12 service aces, one block solo, 11 block assist), while Coco Gillett is 10th with 117.5 points (109 kills, five service aces and seven block assists). 

SERIES HISTORY

The Texas State and ULM volleyball programs have one of the longest-running series histories in Bobcat history. The two programs have met 52 times since Sept. 28, 1984, with Texas State leading the all-time series, 50-2. Texas State hasn't lost to the Warhawks since dropping a five-set match in Monroe, La., on Nov. 11, 2005. The Bobcats have never lost to ULM (27-0) in San Marcos, Texas. 

Like its history with ULM, Texas State has a commanding advantage in the all-time department against Louisiana dating back to the first meeting in 1973. The Bobcats are 21-2 all time against the Ragin' Cajuns, while having never lost to Louisiana in San Marcos (8-0). Like ULM, Louisiana's two wins over Texas State have only come in five-set matches. 

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