SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Volleyball snapped a three-match skid on Thursday night, defeating Gonzaga in four sets in front of a packed crowd at Strahan Arena.
Thursday's match was all about the middle blockers as both fifth-year India Bennett and redshirt freshman Ashley Euson combined for five total blocks and just over 40% (22-of-52) of the Bobcats' (7-9 overall, 2-3 Pac-12) kills against the Bulldogs (5-11 overall, 0-4 Pac-12).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: 25-16
The Bobcats opened Thursday's contest with a staggering .448 hitting percentage and three different players registering at least four kills. Both Euston and sophomore Peyton McKee posted a whopping .800 hitting percentage with neither player committing a single hitting error. Senior Brooke Bentke rounded out the trio with a .222 [4-2-9] hitting percentage. Texas State put together the total package in the remainder of the frame, totaling 13 digs to Gonzaga's seven and two blocks to their one. Junior Caelyn Robel was responsible for half of the Bobcats' blocks with a solo stuff.
Set 2: 17-25
Gonzaga punched right back in the second set, improving from a .091 hitting percentage in the first to a .469 in the second. In addition, the Bulldogs prevented the Bobcats from gaining any momentum, capitalizing on 70% (12-17) of their sideout opportunities. Gonzaga also bested the home team at the net, two blocks to one.
Set 3: 25-20
Down but certainly not out, Texas State once again turned in a .300+ hitting performance with a .333 thanks to 13 kills on 27 total attempts and only four attack errors. While Gonzaga may have bested Texas State's offense, 14 kills to 13, the Bobcats roared back with their net defense. Five different Bobcats contributed to a total of four team blocks in the third frame, led by Euston with three block assists. McKee turned in two assists while Bentke, Robel, and Bennett all finished with one each. Euston's three blocks was also a set-high for her on Thursday. Bennett also led Texas State on offense, leading with four kills while Robel and Bentke tallied three each. The Bobcats were also able to take advantage of Gonzaga's struggles on serve receive, tallying two service aces in the frame.
Set 4: 25-21
The Bulldogs put up a fight in the final set of the night but their 10 total attacking errors proved costly as they posted a .059 hitting percentage to Texas State's .250. Though Gonzaga tallied 12 kills to Texas State's 11, the Bobcats once again proved relentless at the tape with four blocks to the Bulldogs' zero. Bennett and Bentke turned in the Bobcats' second set with at least three block assists as the pair turned in a trio of blocks each. Euston and sophomore Isabella Andrews finished the defensive pursuit with one block each. On offense, Bennett came alive in the fourth, posting a personal match-high five kills and a .500 [5-1-8] hitting percentage. Last but certainly not least, junior Anna Blaine made her own contribution with a service ace.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Sean Huiet on the Win
"Just super proud. This is something we've been working on, obviously. Our Achilles' heel has been when someone pushes; we didn't push back and tonight in the second set when they pushed, you saw in the third and fourth set what we had. Super proud of these two, we wanted to get our middles involved, and I thought we served and passed really well which helped get them involved. Really proud of our team tonight."
NOTABLES
- Thursday's match marked the sixth match this season with 10 or more blocks. The 11 against Gonzaga ranks third in total blocks.
- Ashley Euston's five blocks is the second time this season the redshirt freshman has tallied five or more in a single match. Thursday was India Bennett's fourth this season in double figure blocks.
- Texas State moves to 2-1 all-time against Gonzaga and 1-0 when playing inside Strahan Arena.
- Two Bobcats— Anna Blaine and Jasmine Purakal—finished in double digit digs with 10 and 11, respectively.
- With Ashley Euston (.800), Brooke Bentke (.321), and India Bennett (.440) all posting hitting percentages north of .300, the Bobcats move to 7-3 this season with three or more hitting over .300.
- While the two teams tied the score a total of seven times, Texas State led the entirety of the first, third, and fourth sets.
- Texas State's .333 [52-15-111] hitting percentage is the fourth highest single-match percentage this season.
- With her 11 digs on Thursday, Jasmine Purakal is only 19 digs away from the 1,000-dig career milestone.
