NEW ORLEANS — For the second consecutive week, and third time throughout the season's four weeks, Texas State setter
Emily DeWalt has been named the Sun Belt Conference's Setter of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
The honor is the 21st of DeWalt's five-year career, which is six more than the next closest student-athlete — Arkansas State's Malloy Warrington — in the Sun Belt's history and 15 more than Erin Hoppe, the only other student-athlete in Texas State's Sun Belt history to win the honor.
"To see the Sun Belt coaches recognize (
Emily DeWalt), again, is testament to what she does for our team," said Texas State volleyball head coach
Sean Huiet. "To be named setter of the week for the 21st time in her career is amazing. She's a special player, who is keeping her team focused on the ultimate goal and that's a Sun Belt Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament."
In 12 sets played throughout three matches at last weekend's Horned Frog Invitational hosted by TCU, DeWalt, who was named the 'Best Setter' at the invitational, was credited with 130 assists and a 10.83 assist per set mark on a .481 set percentage en route to helping the Bobcats finish the weekend by a Sun Belt-leading .299 attack percentage. She also finished the weekend with 18 digs, seven kills, three service aces and two block assists while also finishing with 11.0 offensively.
DeWalt turned in her first 60-assist match since posting a career-high 64 against Little Rock on Oct. 23, 2020, when the graduate student was credited with a 60-assist match in a five-set win over Abilene Christian to start the weekend's action. Against the Wildcats, DeWalt directed the Bobcat offense to a .371 attack percentage and helped teammates
Jillian Slaughter (.500),
Caitlan Buettner (.295),
Lauren Teske (.706) and
Tessa Marshall (.571) to attack percentages of .295-or-higher with double-figure kills.
DeWalt also posted her 71st career double-double when she finished the five-set match against Abilene Christian with 60 assists and 10 digs.
Against the host Horned Frogs on Saturday night, DeWalt set teammates
Janell Fitzgerald (21) and
Jada Gardner (15), who both finished the four-set Bobcat victory with 15-or-more kills while finishing the four-set match with 48 assists.
With last weekend's Horned Frog Invitational concluding the Bobcats' non-conference slate, DeWalt and the rest of the Texas State volleyball program will now turn their attention to Sun Belt action with their conference-opening match coming at Monroe, La., against ULM at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 22. The two programs will, then, play, again, at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 23.
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