MONROE, La. — With its 12-match non-conference slate now in the rear-view mirror, the Texas State volleyball program now turns its attention towards Sun Belt Conference opponents, in particular the ULM Warhawks. 

Texas State (8-4) and ULM (6-8) will begin a two-match series at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 22, before wrapping up the week's action on Friday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. CT. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the first-ever meeting between the two volleyball programs on Sept. 28, 1984, Texas State has posted a 52-2 all-time record against ULM. 
• Texas State has not lost to ULM since Nov. 11, 2005, when the Warhawks won a five-set match in Monroe, La. Prior to that match, the only other TXST loss to ULM occurred on Oct. 11, 2002, when the Warhawks won a five-set match in Monroe, La.
• Since Sean Huiet took over as head coach of the Texas State volleyball program prior to the start of the 2020 season, the Bobcats have gone 6-0 against ULM and have not lost a set during that span. 
• Texas State has won the last 41 consecutive sets against ULM. The last time the Warhawks won a set against the Bobcats happened on Oct. 29, 2016, when ULM won the second set during a four-set TXST win. 
• The last time Texas State played in Monroe, La., the Bobcats beat the Warhawks in three sets (26-24, 25-8, 25-20) on Nov. 12, 2021. That night, TXST finished the three-set match with a .416 attack percentage, while holding ULM to a .202 mark including a 0.029 clip during the second set. 
• Under head coach Sean Huiet, outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald has never finished a match against ULM with more than three attack errors. In a three-set match against ULM on Sept. 2, 2020, Fitzgerald finished with only three attack errors on 17 total attacks, which represents the most attack errors for the graduate student against the Warhawks under third-year head coach Sean Huiet. 

SUN BELT RISING

• Since Texas State joined the Sun Belt prior to the start of the 2013-14 athletic year, the Bobcats have become the only volleyball program in the league to win double-digit regular-season Sun Belt matches during that span. 
• Texas State third-year head coach Sean Huiet has lost only three regular-season Sun Belt matches since taking over at the helm of the Bobcat program: 2020 (1) and 2021 (2). 
• As a program, Texas State has not lost more than three regular-season Sun Belt matches since the 2014 season, when the Bobcats dropped five. 
• The last season Texas State dropped exactly two regular-season Sun Belt matches (2019); the Bobcats responded by winning 15 of 16 regular-season conference matches throughout the 2020 season en route to winning the 2020 Sun Belt Championship. 

 GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT

• Heading into this weekend, Texas State is 8-1 all time in Sun Belt Conference opening matches with its only loss coming in a three-set match against South Alabama on Sept. 22, 2017. 
• Texas State is 2-0 in Sun Belt openers under head coach Sean Huiet. Last season, the Bobcats opened with a four-set win at Troy on Sept. 24. The year before, TXST beat ULM in three sets on Sept. 25, 2020. 
• Dating back to the turn of the century in 2000, Texas State is 16-6 in conference-opening matches: Sun Belt: 8-1, WAC: 1-0, Southland: 7-5
• Texas State is 3-0 in road Sun Belt opening matches with the most recent coming on Sept. 24, 2021, when the Bobcats knocked off Troy in four sets in Troy, Ala. 

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

• Following her 130-assist performance throughout last weekend's Horned Frog Invitational on the campus of TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, Texas State setter Emily DeWalt will travel to Monroe, La., looking to continue to climb up the Sun Belt career assist leaderboard:

Sun Belt Career Assist Leaderboard

1. Leslie Clark, MT (2006-09) – 5,692
2. Sarah Oesterling, LT (1993-96) – 5,371
3. Alison Howard, UNO (1999-02) – 5,329
4. Emily DeWalt, Texas State (2018-P) – 5,246

THE 'KILL'ER CHASE

• On the heels of her 21-kill performance against TCU to close out last weekend's Horned Frog Invitational, Texas State outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald is continuing her climb up the program's career leaderboard: 

Texas State Career Kills Leaderboard

1. Makeda Smith (1994-98) – 1,709
2. Lawrencia Brown (2005-08) – 1,557
3. Janell Fitzgerald (2018-P) – 1,528

THE TEXAS STATE 4x4

• Heading into this weekend's two matches at ULM, Texas State will have four representatives atop the Sun Belt's career matches played list. The Bobcats have the only four student-athletes in Sun Belt Conference history to appear in 140-or-more career matches. 

Sun Belt Career Matches Played

1. Tyeranee Scott, TXST (2017-21) – 158
2. Brooke Johnson, TXST (2017-21) – 153
3. Janell Fitzgerald, TXST (2018-P) – 144
4. Emily DeWalt, TXST (2018-P) – 143 

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.