SAN MARCOS, TX — It's the weekend everyone within a sport program dread: the last set of home matches in a regular season. And the stakes couldn't be higher for Texas State's weekend series against Troy. 

Texas State (18-6, 10-2) and Troy (16-8, 10-2) both sit tied atop the Sun Belt's West Division with only one regular-season series remaining at the conclusion of Saturday's action. The two programs will open the critical weekend on Friday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m., before rounding out the league's action on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m.

Both matches this weekend will be available to stream on ESPN+ as Brant Freeman and Mike Haley call the action. 

YOU'RE GONNA MISS THIS

• Texas State will enter this weekend's two-match swing against Troy with a 15-0 all-time record against the Trojans dating back to the two program's first-ever meeting on Aug. 30, 1997. 
• Of those 15 Bobcat wins, 14 have come since Texas State joined the Sun Belt prior to the 2013 season. 
• Troy is one of four active Sun Belt volleyball programs that Texas State has never lost to. 
  • The Bobcats' 15 wins over the Trojans are the most wins by Texas State against one of those four teams:
    • Troy (15), Georgia Southern (8), Southern Miss (2) and Marshall (1)
• Since winning in the only five-set match in series history on Sept. 27, 2014, Texas State has gone on to win 33 of its last 36 sets played against the Trojans. 
• Texas State has beaten Troy in three sets in seven of the last nine matchups between the two programs. 
• Texas State is 6-0 against Troy in matches played in San Marcos. However, Friday night's match will mark the first time the two programs have played in San Marcos since the Bobcats won in three sets on Nov. 23, 2019. 
• In matches played against Troy within the month of November, Texas State is 4-0 with the most recent happening on Nov. 19, 2021, when the Bobcats knocked out the Trojans in the second round of the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Championship. 
• This weekend will be the first time Texas State has closed out its regular-season home schedule against Troy since Nov. 15, 2014, when the Bobcats won 3-0. 

YOU'RE GONNA WANT THIS BACK

• Janell Fitzgerald has seen a lot of success throughout her five seasons as a member of the Texas State volleyball program. 
  • In matches Fitzgerald has appeared in over the last five seasons, Texas State is 117-39 (.750). 
    • This also includes a 76-8 (.904) record against Sun Belt Conference teams. 
  • Fitzgerald has been a part of at least 18-or-more wins every season, while winning at least 10 conference matches during the same time. 

YOU'RE GONNA WISH THESE DAYS, HADN'T GONE BY SO FAST

• This weekend's two-match series between Texas State and Troy will feature two of the top three Division I volleyball student-athletes on the NCAA's active career leaderboard in Emily DeWalt and Amara Anderson. 
  • Texas State's Emily DeWalt ranks second on the list with 5,796 career assists, while Troy's Amara Anderson is third with 5,481. 
    • DeWalt has reached her number in 545 sets played, while Anderson has done so in 518. 
    • Both DeWalt and Anderson trail only Washington's Ella May Powell (5,864). 

THESE ARE SOME GOOD TIMES

• Both Texas State and Troy enter this weekend's match tied atop the Sun Belt's West Division with a 10-2 conference record, while Southern Miss and South Alabama are tied for third with an 8-4 mark. 
  • Texas State swept Southern Miss, while Troy split with the Golden Eagles. 
  • And the Trojans swept South Alabama, while the Bobcats split with the Jaguars. 

SO, TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND

• Since opening in 1982, Texas State's volleyball program is 435-160 (.731) in matches played inside Strahan Arena at the University Events Center. 
  • The quartet of Jillian Slaughter, Janell Fitzgerald, Emily DeWalt and Lauren Teske have accumulated a 51-15 (.773) record in home matches since debuting as Bobcats in the 2018 season. 
    • Of those 66 total matches, the Bobcat quartet is 34-3 (.918) in regular-season conference matches inside Strahan Arena since 2018.  

YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT NOW

• Now that Emily DeWalt and Janell Fitzgerald are both atop the program's career assist and kill standings, respectively, this space — normally reserved to update the duo in relation to their standings in those respective leaderboard — will now be used to practice French in honor of Jade Defraeye. 
  • Hello – Bonjour
  • Good game – Bon jeu
  • How are you? – Comment vas-tu?
  • Good luck – Bonne chance
  • Bye – Au revoir 

BUT YOU'RE GONNA MISS THIS

• This weekend, the Texas State volleyball program will honor nine student-athletes who will or opt to exhaust their collegiate eligibility at season's end.
  • On Friday, the Bobcats will honor Tessa Marshall, Courtney Heiser, Kayla Tello and Emily Smylie prior to the match. 
  • The following day, Jada Gardner, Lauren Teske, Jillian Slaughter, Janell Fitzgerald and Emily DeWalt will be honored prior to the match. 

SUIVEZ-NOUS (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.