MONROE, La. — Prior to Texas State's three-set win at ULM to begin the Bobcats' Sun Belt schedule, third-year head coach
Sean Huiet had one thing to say to his program: go make a statement.
And Texas State (9-4, 1-0) did just that.
A program that is looking for its sixth consecutive trip to the finals of the Sun Belt Conference Championship, Texas State displayed every aspect of a team capable of achieving that. Defensively, the Bobcats held ULM (6-9, 0-1) to a season-low .100 attack percentage, while three student-athletes finished with double-digit digs:
Maggie Walsh (14),
Alyssa Ortega (14) and
Emily DeWalt (11).
DeWalt, a three-time Sun Belt Setter of the Week this season, directed a Texas State offensive that hit .369 — its fourth-highest attack percentage on the season — en route to earning 50 kills, marking the fifth time this season the Bobcats have finished a match with 50-or-more kills and the first time during a three-set match.
Behind a standout performance from the true freshman Walsh, who finished with a 12-kill, 14-dig double-double in her first career collegiate volleyball start, Texas State ran out to a 9-2 lead in the match's opening set, before extending its lead to double digits at 15-5 following a service ace from
Janell Fitzgerald. The Bobcats ballooned their lead to a set-high 14 at 24-10 following the second of back-to-back kills from Walsh.
The second set provided Texas State its first opportunity to play from behind against a conference foe. The Bobcats, which fell behind at 6-8 early in the set, responded in a big way by outscoring the Warhawks 19-9 the rest of the way.
FROM HEAD COACH SEAN HUIET
"I thought that was a good win. We talked about coming out early and making a statement, but we got a little complacent there. Monroe did a great job of coming back with its serve and pass. Madeline Williams is a really good player, so they did some adjustments that I thought took us a little too long to adjust to, but, for the first conference match,
Maggie Walsh, I thought, had a really amazing night with 12 kills on a .500 attack percentage and 14 digs. We said early on, she was always going to find her way onto the court, because she can pass so well, but she's doing a lot of nice things for us. I'm really proud of how she did tonight. I thought Emily (DeWalt) did a great job of moving the offense around and then Jade, coming in, getting those blocks for us at the end. She blocked three balls in one set; that's pretty big time."
FROM SETTER EMILY DEWALT
"I thought we passed really well, to begin with, and that really kept us in system which really opened everyone up, offensively, so we were able to get the middle (blockers) involved early and that allowed us to open the pins up. I definitely feel like we came out and made a statement tonight. Coming out and taking that first set, 25-11, was nice, but we still have some work to do with regards to maintaining that level throughout matches."
STAT LEADERS
SCORES BY SET
- 1st | Texas State 25, ULM 11
- 2nd | Texas State 25, ULM 17
- 3rd | Texas State 25, ULM 20
MATCH NOTES
- Not only was Jade Defraeye credited with her first career kill during the match's third set, but the freshman was also credited with three block assists, including two on back-to-back plays late in the third set to extend the Bobcats' lead from 22-20 to 24-20. Non seulement Jade Defraeye a été créditée de son premier kill en carrière dans le troisième set du match, mais la recrue a également été créditée de trois bloquer passes décisives, dont deux sur des jeux consécutifs à la fin du troisième set pour prolonger l'avance des Bobcats de 22-20 à 24-20.
- During the late stages of the third set, Texas State rallied from a 20-18 deficit to take the next seven consecutive points to win the set and match.
- With her 42-assist, 11-dig performance against the Warhawks Thursday, Emily DeWalt recorded her 72nd career double-double. DeWalt's career double-double total is 53 more than her closest teammate, Janell Fitzgerald, who only has 19.
- By holding ULM to a .100 attack percentage, Thursday night's defensive performance from Texas State marked the seventh time this season the Bobcats have held an opposing team's offense to a sub-.200 attack percentage. The Warhawks' .100 attack percentage was the lowest by a Texas State opponent this season.
- With her 42-assist outing, Emily DeWalt became just the ninth Division I volleyball student-athlete to record a 40-plus assist performance during a three-set match. She becomes the first Sun Belt student-athlete to accomplish the feat against a Sun Belt opponent this season.
- With her 12-kill, 14-dig double-double, freshman Maggie Walsh becomes the eighth active Texas State volleyball student-athlete with at least one career double-double joining Ryann Torres, Jada Gardner, Caitlan Buettner, Courtney Heiser, Lauren Teske, Janell Fitzgerald and Emily DeWalt.
UP NEXT
- Less than 24 hours after taking the first match of the season series from ULM, Texas State will look to sweep the two-match series when the two volleyball programs square off, again, in Monroe, La., at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 23.
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.
