Texas State clinches SBC West Division title Friday
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team swept Louisiana 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-22) Friday night inside Strahan Coliseum.
The Bobcats (22-8, 13-2 SBC), playing in front of the third-largest crowd in school history of 3,021 fans, earned a modicum of revenge after the Ragin' Cajuns (19-10, 12-3 SBC) defeated TXST in five sets on Oct. 28 in Lafayette.
With the victory, the maroon and gold clinched the Sun Belt Conference West Division title and a double bye at the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Championship. The postseason tournament will be contested Nov. 16-19 at Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Texas State will skip the first two days and begin play in the semifinals Nov. 18.
The Bobcats were led offensively by a quartet of attackers. Junior Madison Daigle (.579) and true freshman Tyeranee Scott (.550) both registered 12 kills and just one error each on a combined 39 swings. Sophomore Amy Pflughaupt had nine kills and only one error for a .320 attack percentage, while adding 11 digs. Classmate Megan Porter finished with nine kills and eight digs of her own.
Defensively, sophomores Micah Dinwiddie (25) and Mattie Adams (10) both reached double-digits in digs.
Senior Erin Hoppe distributed 48 assists, which marked the highest total in a three-set match by any Sun Belt player since Oct. 25, 2013. Fellow senior Jaliyah Bolden totaled seven kills, while setting a new career-high with seven digs.
Texas State escaped the opening period with a narrow 25-22 victory. The two sides played even until a kill from Scott gave the maroon and gold a 15-14 advantage. The Bobcats led the rest of the way but, conversely, the Ragin' Cajuns stayed in hot pursuit by never letting the home team lead by more than four points. UL played to within one at 22-21, but a service error and kills from Porter and Bolden swung momentum over to Texas State.
The second set was more favorable for the Bobcats, as they cruised to a 25-18 triumph. Louisiana was able to earn a 10-10 draw, but TXST slowly crept ahead and pulled away until reaching the final seven-point margin of victory.
The last tie in the match came at 13-13 in the third period. Texas State moved into a cushion of five points at 20-15, but the visitors scored a pair of points to get within three at 20-17. The comeback attempt would end there, however, as the Bobcats were able to close out the Ragin' Cajuns.
Hanna Rovira posted a match-high 14 kills, while Jessica Bartczyszyn distributed 27 assists in the losing effort. Sydney Davis (11) and Lexi Hebert (10) both reached the double-figure dig mark.
Texas State had match highs in kills (52-38), attack percentage (.368-.184), assists (51-33), aces (2-1), and digs (70-47). Both teams had four blocks.
The Bobcats have one more home match to close out the regular season. They will host ULM at noon Nov. 12, which will also serve as Senior Day for the maroon and gold. Bolden and Hoppe will be honored prior to the match.
Coastal Carolina Volleyball Sweeps South Alabama
MOBILE, Ala. - The Coastal Carolina volleyball team recorded its second sweep of South Alabama this season as the Chanticleers defeated the Jaguars 25-10, 25-22, 25-19 Friday night.
Coastal improves to 17-7, 14-1 with the victory to remain in first place overall in the Sun Belt Conference and secure one of the top two seeds in 2017 Sun Belt Championship.
A Texas State victory over Louisiana on Friday, meanwhile, improved to the Bobcats to 22-8, 13-2. The Chants can secure the top seed in the upcoming tournament with a victory over Troy in their regular season finale on Saturday, or a Texas State loss to ULM on Sunday.
The Chants and Trojans square off at 6:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, while the Bobcats host the Warhawks at noon on Sunday. Texas State is the only Sun Belt school that has defeated Coastal to this point, giving the Bobcats the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Chants.
Friday's victory was the 11th straight for Coastal, making it the 13th longest active winning streak in Division I volleyball.
Coastal hit .371 as team while limiting South Alabama to .083. The Chants were dominant on both sides of the ball, holding sizeable advantages in kills (42-26), assists (39-24), digs (43-31) and blocks (10-1).
Sydney Alvis played a large role in limiting USA's offense as the junior led all players with 21 digs. Larissa Dos Santos also tallied a match high with five blocks, followed closely Kaylah House's four.
On the offensive side for Coastal, Leah Hardeman landed 14 kills at a .500 pace while Kyla Manning hit .474 and put down 10 kills.
Sara Boothe (25) and Kate Federico (12) combined for 37 of Coastal's 39 assists.
Hardeman and Alvis served Coastal to a quick 8-2 lead in the opening set, and the Chants continued to dominate from there as USA managed just eight more points for the remainder of the frame. Hardeman and Manning each landed four kills, while four Chants contributed on blocks.
Coastal's hitting went from .550 in the first set to .361 as USA tried to regroup from the Chants' fast start. The Jaguars held three brief leads in the set, but never by more than a single point. The Chants eliminated their final deficit when a Dos Santos kill was followed by a service ace from Boothe, putting Coastal in front 18-17.
The final set saw House and Dos Santos assists on three blocks each. Aristea Tontai and Tanner Gauthier also had block assists, while Manning recorded the lone solo effort. Coastal led by a pair of points before going a 6-2 run to take a comfortable 19-12 lead and cruise to the finish.
Troy Downs Appalachian State in Five
TROY, Alabama- The Troy volleyball team (10-20, 4-11 SBC) earned redemption as it defeated the Appalachian State Mountaineers (11-18, 6-9 SBC) on Senior Night at the Trojan Arena in five sets.
It was a career night for freshman Cheyenne Hayes as she led the way with 17 kills. Sophomore Logan Page was also a dominant force posting a .600 hitting percentage with 12 kills. Defensive specialist Bethany Cullity made huge plays for Troy recording her third double-double of the season with 11 kills and 15 digs.
The Mountaineers took control of the match early with a 25-22 win in set one. The Trojans tied the set at 22 all, but Appalachian State closed out the first set with a three-point run.
Troy battled back to take a commanding 25-17 win in the second set to even the match at 1-1. The Trojans hit a .324 attack percentage in the second set, while holding the Mountaineers to just a .086 percentage.
A couple of nice scoring runs gave Appalachian State a the lead in the match with a 25-16 decision in set three. Appalachian state hit a match-high .346 in the third set, while the Trojans hit a match-low .143.
The battle continued as the Trojans rallied back to force a fifth and final set with a 25-21 win in set four. A seven-point run in the middle of the set gave the Trojans a comfortable 15-9 lead and they never turned back.
It all came down to the fifth set where the Trojans battled from behind. The Mountaineers took a 7-3 lead in the set, but Troy rallied to win seven of eight total points to take a 11-9 lead. Appalachian State pushed back, but a kill from Hayes sealed the match as the Trojans continued to fight for a spot in the conference tournament.
NOTEWORTHY
This was the second time this season Troy faced Appalachian State in a five-set match. The Mountaineers won the first match of the season, while the Trojans took match two.
Troy leads its opponents in kills (1457-1271), assists (1356-1140), aces (156-129) and digs (1388-1361).
Troy is now 4-3 in five-set matches this season.
Belle Waldrop leads the Trojans with 261 kills, while Page leads with a .310 hitting percentage.
QUOTABLE
"The was a lot of good grit out there tonight," head coach Josh Lauer said. "We rode that roller coaster a little bit, but it was fun. I am really happy for our seniors. They have been through a lot here, so it is always fun to come out and get a win on Senior Night. Logan was really good tonight, Bethany (Cullity) came out and put up a double-double, and Cheyenne (Hayes) was clutch tonight."
UP NEXT
Troy will host the Sun Belt leader, Coastal Carolina, Saturday night at 6:30 p.m., at the Trojan Arena. A win against the Chanticleers will give Troy an automatic bid in the Sun Belt Conference tournament next weekend.
Canete Stars As Mavs Top ULM
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Qiana Canete charted her 18th double-double of the year and the 69th of her career, leading UTA volleyball to a five-set win (25-18, 29-27, 19-25, 20-25, 15-8) over ULM, on Friday night at College Park Center.
UTA (13-15, 7-8 Sun Belt Conference) improved to within a game of .500 with the win over the Warhawks. UTA used a strong performance in the first set and outlasted a late charge from ULM to claim the second set. After the Warhawks claimed the next two sets to force the fifth
The Mavs have already clinched a berth in the Sun Belt Conference Championships, slated for next week in Jonesboro, Ark.
LEADING THE MAVS
A native of Copperas Cove, Texas, Canete put on a show in her 18th double-double of the year, just shy of her career high of 20 in 2016. The UTA all-time record holder for career kills, Canete finished with 23 kills and 17 digs to lead the offensive attack. The Mavs also got a career-high 60 assists and 12 digs from Haley Higgins, with Zhanelle Geathers adding 19 kills and eight digs. Kylie Jedlicka notched her sixth double-double of the year with 17 kills and 12 assists.
The Mavs also got seven kills from Madison McConnell and five - including four in the first set - from freshman Tessa Harfield. Madison Smith had 15 digs from her libero post.
NEXT
UTA returns to action on Sunday, hosting Louisiana in the final match of the regular season, slated for 6:30 p.m. Ct at College Park Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com with Pete Stein and Josh Sours voicing the action.
SET ONE
The Mavs opened the match strong, taking the first two points and earning a 4-1 lead behind kills from Geathers and Harfield. Jedlicka stretched UTA's lead to 6-3 and after a ULM run, Harfield gave the Mavs the lead again at 8-7. Harfield's kill broke a tie at 10-9 and Jedlicka's second kill gave the Mavs an 11-10 lead. After ULM took its first lead of the set, Canete evened it with her second kill to make it 14-14. UTA then ripped off six of the next eight points to take a 21-16 lead into a ULM timeout. Geathers used a huge block to give the Mavs a 23-16 lead, with UTA finishing off the first set win.
SET TWO
UTA opened with the first three points of the set, getting the first two points on a block and a kill from Harfield. Jedlicka stretched the UTA lead to 6-4 with a kill and the Mavs held off ULM to own a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. ULM notched the next four points to take a 16-15 lead, with UTA getting it back to even at 18 on the strength of a kill from Canete, her 10th. UTA built a 22-20 lead and saw ULM rally to even the match at 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. UTA used a pair of major kills from Geathers to earn a pair of set points.
SET THREE
Harfield got the Mavs on the board in the third with UTA taking the first two points. After a Geathers' kill UTA took a 4-1 lead but ULM mounted a rally to build a 9-7 lead. The Warhawks were the first to 15, sparking the media timeout, with ULM leading 15-12. After the Warhawks took a 21-15 lead, UTA's Coach J.T. Wenger used his first timeout of the set. Despite a pair of kills from Geathers, the Warhawks outlasted the Mavs for a 25-19 win.
SET FOUR
UTA got the first point of the set and took a 2-1 lead but ULM answered to take a 7-6 lead. Jedlicka evened it up at 7-7 but a 3-0 run forced a UTA timeout, trailing 10-7. The Mavs went on a 5-0 run to even it at 11 and after ULM was able to get to 15 first, the Mavs went on a 3-0 run to take a 17-15 lead at a ULM timeout. ULM rallied out of the break to take a 19-17 lead and fought off the Mavs to earn a 25-20 win.
SET FIVE
The teams traded points to open and the Mavs were able to build a 3-1 lead. After a pair of kills from Geathers, the Mavs took a 7-4 advantage. Canete was able to give UTA a four-point lead at 10-6 and the Mavs finished off the win, 15-8 with a 4-0 run.
@AStateVolleyball Tops Little Rock in Five Sets
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (11/10/17) – The Arkansas State volleyball team used an 8-0 run to end the fifth and decisive set in a 3-2 (26-28, 25-21, 25-18, 21-25, 15-7) victory over in-state foe Little Rock Friday night in the team’s final match of the regular season at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock.
The fifth set was tied 7-7 after an ace by the Trojans (9-19, 5-11 SBC), but a kill by Peyton Uhlenhake put A-State (19-10, 12-4 SBC) on top 8-7 and the Red Wolves didn’t look back. A couple of attack errors by Little Rock set the score at 10-7 and caused the home team to use a timeout. However, it didn’t slow Arkansas State down as the team scored the final five points, the last on a block by Uhlenhake and Madison Turner, to win the set 15-7 and match 3-2.
“Nothing ever comes easy against Little Rock, especially at their place,” A-State head volleyball coach David Rehr said. “There was some good and some bad tonight for us, but I’m really proud of how we finished set five to win the match. However, we allowed them to come back in set one and didn’t play very well at times. You have to give them some credit too because they played really hard and competed.”
Carlisa May led the Red Wolves with 22 kills, her seventh match of more than 20 kills this season, while Drew Jones posted her 12th double-double of the year with a season-best 19 kills on a .368 hitting percentage along with 13 digs. Turner turned in a career-best 11 kills on a .385 attacking percentage and also tied for the team high in blocks with four along with Jones. Ellie Watkins finished with a double-double with 59 assists and 16 digs, while Tatum Ticknor was one dig shy of tying her career high with 32 and set a new career high with four service aces.
The first set looked to be in A-State’s favor at 19-11 on a kill by May, but Little Rock battled back to tie the set at 25-25 after a 14-6 run. The Trojans then won three of the next four points, the last on an ace that hit the top of the net and fell in, to take the set 28-26. A-State was down 13-12 in set two before a 7-2 run, capped by a kill from Kenzie Fields, put the Red Wolves in front 20-14. Little Rock fought back within 24-21, but a kill by May clinched a 25-21 set win for the visitors.
A-State jumped out to a 14-9 lead in set three on an ace by Fields and extended the edge to 18-11 to force a Little Rock timeout. The stoppage didn’t slow A-State’s momentum as a kill by May sealed a 25-18 win for the Red Wolves. Little Rock held a slight 18-17 advantage in set four before a 4-0 run by the visitors gave A-State a 21-18 edge. However, the Trojans ended game four on a 7-0 run, capped by a kill from Marina Avram, to win the set 25-21 and send the match to set five.
Maritza Mesa and Avram led the Trojans with 14 kills apiece, while Sydnee Martin had 20 digs. Little Rock out blocked A-State 11-7, but A-State hit .231, compared to a .194 percentage for the Trojans. The Red Wolves also had eight service aces to Little Rock’s five.
Arkansas State waits to find out its seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with other teams in the league wrapping up the regular season Saturday and Sunday. A-State will be the third or fourth seed in the event and will earn a bye into the quarterfinals.
The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament is set to begin Thursday, Nov. 16 and will run through Sunday, Nov. 19. Due to being the third or fourth seed, the Red Wolves’ next match will be Friday, Nov. 17. A full bracket will be released once all matches are completed Sunday.