Near-Flawless Performance Sends TXST Past Troy
The maroon and gold will now hit the road for a quartet of league bouts, starting next weekend with Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.
San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team got its first Sun Belt Conference victory with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-12) sweep over Troy Sunday afternoon inside Strahan Coliseum.
The Bobcats (9-7, 1-1 SBC) posted a .486 hitting percentage for the day, which was their highest since reaching a school-record mark of .554 against Prairie View A&M on Sept. 4, 2015. The tally was also the highest against a conference opponent since at least 2006. Texas State’s match-by-match statistics only go back through the past 10 years.
The Trojans (5-10, 0-2 SBC) fell to 0-9 all-time against the maroon and gold.
Sophomore Amy Pflughaupt finished with a match-high 11 kills coupled with just two errors on 18 swings (.500 attack percentage). Senior Jaliyah Bolden countered with nine kills and two errors on 16 attempts for a .438 hitting percentage, while sophomore Megan Porter hit .500 (nine kills, one error, 16 attacks) and added eight digs.
Senior Erin Hoppe controlled the offense with a season-best 35 assists, and junior Madison Daigle was a force at the net with a career-high 10 blocks. She also had seven kills and posted a career-high hitting percentage of .600 (one error, 10 attacks).
TXST didn’t face much push-back throughout the match. The maroon and gold captured the opening set 25-14 thanks in large part to a 14-4 run that turned a narrow 9-8 advantage into a 23-12 rout. The second period featured an 8-0 run that saw Texas State’s 7-5 lead swell to 15-5. The Bobcats maintained the 10-point edge and won the frame 25-15. The third set saw more of the same, as an early 6-0 run was all TXST needed to eliminate any comeback efforts.
Cheyenne Hayes and Jenni Young led Troy with eight kills each. Reina Terry (12) and Kiara Barrett (11) combined for 23 assists, and Barrett added a team-high six digs.
The Bobcats had match highs in every statistical category, including kills (41-27), attack percentage (.486-.075), assists (38-27), service aces (4-1), digs (26-25) and blocks (10-1).
The maroon and gold will now hit the road for a quartet of league bouts, starting next weekend with Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina. The Bobcats will face the Mountaineers at 5:30 p.m. (CDT) Sept. 29 in Boone, North Carolina, before meeting the Chanticleers at 11:30 a.m. (CDT) Oct. 1 in Conway, South Carolina.
TEXAS STATE COACH KAREN CHISUM
Opening Statement…
“We regrouped well after (the 3-0 loss) Friday night against South Alabama. I’m proud of Erin Hoppe. We ran a 5-1 today and gave (the setter position) to the senior. She responded very well. We needed this win. Anytime you hit .486 and only have six errors, you’re going to win a ball game. That goes back to our setting and defense. (Troy coach) Josh (Lauer) told me after the match that our passers did a heck of a job. When you pass the ball well, you’re able to run a successful offense. It was a great overall effort today, and I’m very proud of the team.”
On the confidence of the team heading on a four-match road swing…
“We’ve got four big ones ahead of us. I don’t think a win like this can do anything but help. We’re hitting the road for Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina, and then we follow that up with a road trip to the two Arkansas schools (Little Rock and Arkansas State). Those are four of the top teams in the conference, so we’ve got to be ready for the challenge.”
On the play of Amy Pflughaupt…
“Her growth has been major for us. I had a personal conversation with her the other day and told her how glad we were to have her as a Bobcat. I told her that the one thing we needed her to do was get a little bit grittier. I wanted to see that competitive spirit in her eyes and I wanted her to go after it. She went after it today. That’s exactly what we needed from her.”
