FOLEY, Ala. — The Texas State volleyball program has a legacy that was built long prior to the 2022 season and Friday night's four-set win over Louisiana in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Championship only added to it.
It started with the five-time Sun Belt Setter of the Year,
Emily DeWalt, who finished with a match-high 52 assists, while guiding the Bobcats to a .384 attack percentage and helped four teammates finish with 10-or-more kills. And it, essentially, ended in the third set.
After Louisiana cut its deficit to three late in the third set, the Bobcats went on to outscore the Ragin' Cajuns by two the rest of the set. And the offensive outburst never stopped for Texas State as the two teams went into the fourth set. A set that was highlight by a 17-4, Texas State, run.
DeWalt, the reigning conference player of the year for the second consecutive season, ended the match with a skip-set kill that landed in the middle of all the Louisiana defenders.
FROM HEAD COACH SEAN HUIET
"You know, it's always nice to have the double-bye while everyone else is playing, but this tournament started on Wednesday with 14 teams and it's Friday night and we just played our first match and only five teams are here. The rest is good for our bodies, but, unfortunately, it could take a little bit to get going and build your confidence. Tonight wasn't our best passing performance, but I thought Emily (DeWalt) did a great job directing the offense. I told the girls after the match that having four players with double-figure kills is a great way to start the tournament."
FROM MIDDLE BLOCKER TESSA MARSHALL
"Emily (DeWalt) was just really good at splitting up the offense for hitters tonight. I feel she tripped up (Louisiana's) blockers. Their blockers were really focused on our outside (hitters) and we weren't passing amazingly, but Emily was still doing a great job at leading the offense and I was just having a hay day, I guess."
STAT LEADERS
SCORES BY SET
- 1st | Texas State 25, Louisiana 18
- 2nd | Louisiana 26, Texas State 24
- 3rd | Texas State 25, Louisiana 20
- 4th | Texas State 25, Louisiana 14
MATCH NOTES
- With the win Friday night, the Texas State volleyball program has now reached the semifinals of the conference tournament in every season under head coach Sean Huiet.
- Furthermore, the program has reached at least the semifinals of every postseason conference tournament since joining the Sun Belt Conference prior to the 2013 season.
- Fifth-year senior Janell Fitzgerald's 17 digs in four sets against Louisiana were the most by the outside hitter since a five-set match against South Alabama on Oct. 22, 2022.
- By finishing with 10 kills and zero errors on 18 total attacks, fourth-year senior Caitlan Buettner finished with a career-high .556 attack percentage.
- Fellow fourth-year senior Tessa Marshall posted a season-high .667 attack percentage as the middle blocker finished with 10 kills and zero errors on 15 total attacks in four sets.
- Both Texas State middle blockers — Tessa Marshall and Jillian Slaughter — finished with a .667 attack percentage
- Marshall: 10-0-15
- Slaughter: 9-1-12
UP NEXT
- With the win, Texas State (23-6) advances into the semifinals of the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Championships, where the Bobcats will play the third-seeded South Alabama Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 19.
FOLLOW US
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, @TxStateVolleyball on Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
