Troy University Athletics
Troy University
16-9,10-3Sun Belt
Texas State
19-6,11-2Sun Belt
Troy Drops Divisional Matchup to Texas State
11/4/2022 9:09:00 PM | Volleyball
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Trojans' nine-game win streak came to an end Friday night as Troy fell in four sets (19-25, 25-21, 19-25, 20-25) to Texas State in a battle of the top two teams in the Sun Belt West.
Despite the loss, Troy has secured a double-bye in the upcoming Sun Belt Conference tournament. However, the Trojans are still looking for their first win against the Bobcats as they fall to 0-16 all-time.
For Troy (16-9, 10-3), freshman Amiah Butler notched her seventh straight game with double-digit kills finishing with 12, as Tori Hester had a team-high 14 kills and 12 digs for her fifth straight double-double and 14th on the season. Troy allowed 10 Texas State service aces which was the second time Troy has allowed 10 this season, as it matched the Bobcat's season high.
With two blocks on the night, Julia Brooks became the all-time career leader in total blocks in Troy volleyball history, as she now has 317 in her career. Earlier in the season, Brooks became the Trojan's all-time career leader in solo blocks. In addition, Brooks recently moved up to 10th all-time in career kills as she added 10 more tonight.
Texas State (19-6, 11-2) secured first place in the Sun Belt West division as Jada Gardner led the way with 14 kills and Emily DeWalt recorded a match-high 43 assists. Despite 36 errors, Texas State had 10 blocks, with Troy only seeing six and hitting .256 for the match, while Troy finished with a .165 hitting clip.
Set One: Despite jumping out to a four-point lead to start the set and seeing a six-point lead at 10-4, the Trojans couldn't hold off the Bobcats, who eventually battled back and tied the set at 16-16. The host finally took a one-point lead and never looked back, outscoring the Trojans 9-3 to take the first set.
Set Two: A .207 hitting percentage for Troy was the highest of the four sets, while Texas State had its lowest at .037. After a 2-2 tie Troy would lead the rest of the way, building up another five-point lead that they would not give up again and tie the match up at one set apiece.
Set Three: With the set knotted up at 10, Texas State went on a four-point run and never looked back despite Troy having a match-high 14 kills in the set. The Bobcats hit .407 in the set, giving them their most efficient set. Six different Trojans recorded a kill in the set, with Jaci Mesa picking up her first career kill.
Set Four: It was a back-and-forth affair late into the set, with the two teams tied at 17 before Texas State was able to see some separation outscoring Troy 8-3 down the stretch to give the hosts the victory.
Up Next: Troy and Texas State will wrap up the weekend with a 2:00 match-up on Saturday, November 5, as the Trojans look to salvage a game and split the series.
