Troy University Athletics
Troy University
7-7,2-2Sun Belt
Texas State
10-5,4-0Sun Belt
Troy Volleyball Falls to Texas State, 3-0
10/5/2024 5:08:00 PM | Volleyball
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Troy volleyball team was unable to contain the high-powered Texas State offense on Saturday afternoon as the Bobcats swept the Trojans at Strahan Arena.
Texas State (10-5, 4-0 SBC) dominated on the attacking side of things as it hit .341 (45-15-88). Bailey Hanner and Samantha Wunsch combined for 20 kills and just five errors. Troy (7-7, 2-2 SBC), on the other hand, struggled as it hit .152 (35-20-99).
Tori Hester continues to pace the Trojan offense, as she recorded a match-high 14 kills on .119 hitting. Hester improved her double-digit kill streak to 36 matches, a streak that dates back to last season. Amiah Butler had eight kills, while Maleah Howe added a season-high six kills. It was just the second match Howe has appeared in this season, and she hit .182 (6-4-11).
On defense, Ella Broahead led Troy with two block assists and a solo block. Jaci Mesa had a match-high 13 digs.
Set 1: Texas State 25-18
Both teams had their best offensive showing in the first set, as Texas State hit .483 (17-3-29), while Troy hit .300 (13-4-30). Hester had five kills for Troy in the frame, but Texas State never trailed in the set. A kill by Caelyn Emmerling gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead in the match.
It was the only set in which Troy did not have a lead.
Set 2: Texas State 25-22
The Trojans offense regressed in the second set, but the Texas State offense did not. Troy hit .121 (12-8-33), while Texas State hit .346 (14-5-26). The Bobcats jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead, and the Trojans responded with a 5-1 run to take a 7-6 lead. The two sides traded points for much of the set, and things were tied 20-20 before Texas State closed on a 5-2 run to take the set and a controlling 2-0 match lead.
Troy had three of its five aces in the set, including two from Sara Bates.
Set 3: Texas State 25-19
The final set was the worst offensive one for Troy, as it hit .056 (10-8-36). Despite the poor offense, the Trojans played their best defense in the set, holding the Bobcats to a hitting clip of .212 (14-7-33). Like most of the weekend, the Trojans were competitive throughout the frame, but the Texas State side prevailed late. With things even at 16-16, the Bobcats went on a 9-3 run to win the set and match, which concluded on a Wunsch kill.
Quotable – head coach Josh Lauer
"We played a good Texas State team. We had a tough time finishing sets this weekend so that will be a big focus for us heading into next week. We faced some adversity this week with injury and had to make some unique adjustments. I was proud of the way our team handle the changes and stayed together and competitive."
Up Next
Troy is back in action next Thursday and Friday night in Statesboro, Ga., as it takes on Georgia Southern. Both matches are set to start at 5 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available on Troystats.com.
Notabels
• Tori Hester recorded a match-high 14 kills on Friday night. She has now recorded ten or more kills in 36 straight matches dating back to last season.
• In just her second match of the season, Maleah Howe recorded a season-high six kills.
• Janelle Stuempfig led Troy with 22 assists. She also had a kill and an ace.
• Sara Bates recorded a match-high three aces. She is first on the team with 22 aces this season.
• Ella Broadhead had two block assists and a solo block to lead Troy.
• Jaci Mesa had a match-high 13 digs.
• Troy is 0-21 all-time against Texas State.
