EDINBURG, Texas — Texas State volleyball opened the 2025 Southwest Showdown with a 3-1 win over the tournament hosts UTRGV. Despite dropping the first set, Texas State bounced back to win three-straight to take the match. The team recovered to have its best attack percentage of the season so far.

Leading the way was Samantha Wunsch who had her second-consecutive 20+ kill match, as well as her second-consecutive double-double with 20 kills and 12 digs. Anna Blaine also had a double-double with a career best 43 assists and 11 digs tonight. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Bobcats struggled to find a rhythm in the first set of the match. Texas State could not hit through the Vaquero block, with UTRGV having 6.0 team blocks in the first set alone. The Bobcats' attack errors found them losing set one 25-20 despite Wunsch tallying six kills, and Brooke Bentke getting six in the first set.

Texas State bounced back well in the second set, though. The team improved its attack to .355 with 15 kills on 31 swings. That, and Texas State fought through the Vaqueros block, with UTRGV not adding any more to their total in set two. Bailey Hanner and Wunsch led for the Bobcats with five kills apiece in set two. That, and three more from Bentke helped her to a career-best night. She'd end the night with 11 kills.

Britton Finley came in set three and immediately made her presence known with five kills on six swings, with a block assist in between. That and the Bobcats improving to .625 hitting in set three, with just one error and 16 kills, Texas State won set three 25-17. Texas State out killed, out dug, and out blocked the Vaqueros in set three to reclaim the lead in the match.

The Bobcats effectively limited the Vaquero attack in the fourth set to win the match. While Texas State swung .361, UTRGV was riddled with errors and swung just .188. Five kills from Jade Defraeye, who also had seven blocks on the night, helped the Bobcats to a 25-20 win in set four. 

STAT LEADERS

• Kills – Samantha Wunsch (20)
• Assists – Anna Blaine (43)
• Blocks – Jade Defraeye (7)
• Digs – Samantha Wunsch (12)

 
SCORES BY SET

• 1st | Texas State 20, UTRGV 25
• 2nd | Texas State 25, UTRGV 20
• 3rd | Texas State 25 UTRGV 17
• 4^th | Texas State 25, UTRGV 20

MATCH NOTES:

• Brooke Bentke had a career best outing with her career marks in kills (11) and aces (3) as well as tied her career-best in digs (7).
• Freshman Britton Finley had a seven-kill, two-block night in two sets of work for her best outing so far.

• Texas State had 51 digs and 58 kills, both a team-best so far this season. Texas State's .302 attack percentage is also a season high.
   

UP NEXT
Texas State will continue the Southwest Showdown tomorrow, Sept. 5 at 3:30 pm versus Texas A&M – Corpus Christi. This will be the Bobcats' second of three games this weekend, with the tournament finale on Sept. 6 at noon against UTEP. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.

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.