SAN ANTONIO, TX — Friday night's season-opening match didn't go
exactly how Texas State volleyball head coach
Sean Huiet wanted, but the Bobcat coaching staff will take the four-set win over Houston Baptist to begin the Cardinal Classic and look to continue to make improvements.
The first set saw Texas State (1-0) and Houston Baptist (0-1) trade the lead three times with six score ties despite a match-leading 11 kills on 17 total attacks from
Jada Gardner. In the set, the Bobcats were credited with 17 kills as
Emily DeWalt picked up 14 assists on 29 attempts throughout the opening frame.
DeWalt continued directing the Texas State offense during the second set as the preseason Sun Belt Setter of the Year added 10 more assists, while six different Bobcats were credited with at least one kill en route to the team swinging .414.
After Houston Baptist won the third set behind just a .172 attack percentage from Texas State, the Sun Belt's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Janell Fitzgerald provided why the league's coaches made the right decision as she was credited with seven kills on 10 attacks throughout the set to cap the win.
FROM HEAD COACH SEAN HUIET
"(That match) was what we thought. The first match is all about getting the nerves and jitters out and see who is going to show up. We knew (Houston Baptist) was going to pass well. They're known for their passing and defense, so they were going to challenge us in that area. I liked how we started. We got in a rhythm and then (the coaching staff) challenged (the student-athletes) to find out what this team is going to be night in and night out. Tonight, was just a little too inconsistent. I wanted to get some more kids in there to get more people ready to play, but we took plays off and didn't play from start to finish and they earned that third set. I'm glad we rebounded and, honestly, a win is always good, and we'll take tonight and learn from it."
STAT LEADERS
SCORES BY SET
- 1st | Texas State 25, Houston Baptist 19
- 2nd | Texas State 25, Houston Baptist 20
- 3rd | Houston Baptist 25, Texas State 22
- 4th | Texas State 25, Houston Baptist 20
MATCH NOTES
- With Texas State holding a 13-11 lead in the fourth set, Janell Fitzgerald was credited with her 15th kill in the match to extend the Bobcats' lead to 14-11. The kill was Fitzgerald's 1,400th career kill as a member of the Texas State volleyball program, making her just the sixth student-athlete in program history to reach the milestone.
- By finishing the match with 21 kills, Jada Gardner becomes just the second student-athlete under head coach Sean Huiet to have 20-or-more kills in a season-opening match. Caitlan Buettner was credited with 27 kills on 61 total attacks in a five-set win over Central Arkansas on Sept. 4, 2020.
- With her 43-assist, 14-dig performance Friday night, Emily DeWalt has recorded a double-double in back-to-back season-opening matches after being credited with 12 assists and 10 digs in three sets against then-No. 3 Kentucky on Aug. 27, 2021.
- After ending the 2021 regular season with a double-double in her last six consecutive matches, Janell Fitzgerald extended her streak to seven straight regular-season matches with a double-double after posting an 18-kill, 11-dig outing against Houston Baptist. She now has a double-double in 14 of her last 17 regular-season matches.
UP NEXT
- Texas State will conclude its participation in the Cardinal Classic on Saturday, Aug. 27, when the Bobcats square off against UIW, twice, at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. inside the McDermott Convocation Center on the campus of UIW.
FOLLOW US
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, Facebook and @TXStateVolleyball on Instagram. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
