FOLEY, Alabama — Texas State volleyball are 2024 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Champions after a sweep over Arkansas State in the championship match on Sunday afternoon. After not dropping a single set in the entire Sun Belt Tournament, the Bobcats improve to 22-8 on the year and are Sun Belt Champions.
 
Highlighting the night was an all-around performance from MJ McCurdy who finished the night with a team-best 16 kills while hitting .361, eight digs and a block. Sam Wunsch also had an effective night with 12 kills and six blocks.
 
This is the Bobcats 5^th Sun Belt Tournament Championship, having won the tournament in 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Texas State battled through the early stages of set one. Both sides traded points, but it was a run in the middle of the set that separated the Bobcats out. With things tied at 14-14, Texas State went on a 4-0 run to go up 18-14 and force the Red Wolves to take a time out. That, and an effective block in the first set made the difference for the Bobcats. While forcing Arkansas State into 11 errors, Texas State tallied six blocks in the first set alone. Texas State won set one 25-19 while holding the Red Wolves to a sub-0.100 attack line.
 
Set two was again a back-and-forth affair early on. Texas State found a little bit of space and got themselves up 13-10, but the Red Wolves didn't quit and tied it up at 14 to force the Bobcats into a timeout. More of the same continued out of the timeout as the two teams traded points and the Bobcats took another timeout, tied 22-22. Out of the timeout, Texas State took advantage of Arkansas State errors with two points off a service error and attack error to go up 24-22. The Bobcats won match point on a McCurdy kill 25-23.
 
Arkansas State got out to a lead early in set three and found themselves up 10-5, but a 5-0 run by Texas State tied things back up at 10-10. The run was highlighted by big kills from McCurdy and Hanner to shift the momentum. From there, McCurdy hit off the top of the block to make it 12-11 for the Bobcats, their first lead of set three. Texas State then went up to a 20-17 lead and were able to keep that lead through to the end. The match ended on a kill from Wunsch to end it 25-20.
 
Texas State are Sun Belt Champions after not losing a single set during the conference tournament. Three consecutive sweeps in the postseason on top of an 11-game win streak and Texas State will now wait to find out where it's going in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

STAT LEADERS

• Kills – MJ McCurdy (16)
• Assists – Ryann Torres (35)
• Blocks – Jade Defraeye (7)
• Digs – Alyssa Ortega (14)

 
SCORES BY SET

• 1st | Texas State 25, Arkansas State 19
• 2nd | Texas State 25, Arkansas State 23
• 3rd | Texas State 25, Arkansas State 20

 

UP NEXT
Texas State will await the NCAA Selection Show to find out which regional site they will go to. The show will be Dec. 1 at 5 pm on ESPN. The first and second rounds of the tournament will be Dec. 5-7. For updated information on the Bobcats schedule, go here.

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.