Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HOUSTON – Texas State Volleyball split the day on Friday as it swept Houston Christian in the first match of the day and pushed to five sets against Houston in the evening but ultimately came up short

In the match against the Huskies (2-9 overall), the Bobcats (5-5 overall) hit for .330 on the day led by junior Caelyn Robel with a career-high 17 kills. Against the Cougars (6-4 overall), Texas State hit for a respectable .224 and even out-blocked Houston 15 -7, but Houston simply racked up more kills than the Bobcats to take the match.

HOW IT HAPPENED: TEXAS STATE 3, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 0

Set 1: 25-23
The Bobcats' best offensive performance came from the very first set of the day with a .371 [19-6-35] team hitting percentage led by Robel who tallied seven kills and one error on just 10 attempts. Alongside Robel was redshirt freshman Ashley Euston who racked up four kills while sophomore Isabella Andrews also posted three of her own. At the net, both Euston and senior Brooke Bentke were responsible for the single block of the set. The floor defense was a tough one from the Bobcats as all but three players in the frame recorded at least one dig.

Set 2: 25-19 
While the second set might have been a quieter one offensively—just 13 kills to the first set's 19—the Bobcats' defense came alive, out-blocking the Huskies 4-2. Both senior Ally Adair and Euston were responsible for a solo block while Robel paired with both Euston and Adair on two separate occasions for the final two stuffs of the frame. Robel continued to dominate the offense with another five kills while sophomore Peyton McKee added four of her own. Lastly, Texas State was lethal at the service line with four service aces from four different Bobcats (Bentke, Andrews, and juniors Camryn Kimes and Anna Blaine). 

Set 3: 25-10
The final frame of the match was the most dominant for the Bobcats after holding the Huskies to just six kills and a -.054 hitting percentage. Texas State also held the momentum for just under two-thirds of the set with a 63% sideout percentage to Houston Christian's 25%. Robel and Bentke both tallied five kills each, and sophomore Naara Tanco and Robel combined for the lone block of the night.

HOW IT HAPPENED: HOUSTON 3, TEXAS STATE 2

Set 1: 23-25
Texas State pushed Houston to its limit in the first frame after tying the set 23-23, but the Cougars secured the final two points to win the set. In the first, Andrews totaled five kills, Bentke put up three, and both Robel and fifth year India Bennett tallied two. The Bobcats exploded at the net with four total blocks thanks to a set-high three from Euston, two from McKee, and single kill efforts from Bentke, Robel, and Bennett.

Set 2: 25-21 
The Bobcats roared back in the second set, swinging for a match-best .333 [14-3-33] led by Bentke who posted five kills on eight total attacks (.625). Four total Bobcats recorded two kills (Euston, Robel, Bennett, and Andrews) while McKee rounded out the attacking efforts with one kill. Texas State's efforts at the service line also began to pay off as the Bobcats posted four service aces to the Cougars' one, led by Bentke with two. Blaine and Andrews were responsible for the final two service aces of the frame. The blocking defense continued to excel with Texas State out-blocking Houston 3-1.

Set 3: 16-25
The match swung back into the Cougars' favor in the third set as they recorded 19 kills to Texas State's 10. The third set was also the only frame of the evening that Houston recorded more blocks than Texas State. In the third frame—and for the second straight set—four Bobcats recorded two kills (Euston, Bentke, Bennett, and freshman Janet Onuorah) and both Robel and Andrews recorded one. Bennett was also rewarded with one solo block and one block assist while Andrews was responsible for the other half of the block.

Set 4: 25-22
It was all about the net defense and serving performance in the fourth set as the Cougars recorded more kills than the Bobcats, 14-13, but Texas State bested Houston in blocks, 3-0, and service aces, 3-0. Bennett led the defense with three blocks, Bentke recorded two, and Tanco brought up the rear with one. At the service line, fifth year Jasmine Purakal led with two service aces and Andrews tallied the the third. On offense, Bentke, Onuorah, and Tanco all recorded three kills.

Set 5: 11-15
The final set was nothing more than Houston getting more kills than Texas State. While the Bobcats outblocked the Cougars, 3-1, Houston put up 12 total kills to Texas State's six. Of the three team blocks, five different Bobcats posted at least one block with Euston recording two. Offensively, both Bennett and Andrews recorded two kills and Bentke and Tanco both posted one. 

NOTABLES

• Caelyn Robel led the offense on Friday with 22 kills across both matches. Brooke Bentke was second with 21.
• Five total Bobcats finished in double figures in kills. Isabella Andrews posted 16, Ashley Euston recorded 11, India Bennett tallied 10, Robel recorded 22, and Bentke had 21. Of the five, Bennett was the most efficient with a .421 [10-2-19] hitting percentage.
• Both Ashley Euston and India Bennett finished with a team-high nine blocks.
• Texas State outhit its opponents, .267 to .237. The Bobcats also bested its opponents at the service line, 13 service aces to five.
• Isabella Andrews led the Bobcats in service aces with five.

UP NEXT
Texas State finishes its non-conference schedule with one final match against UTSA on Saturday, Sept. 19. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.


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