Bobcats Mount Epic Rally To Kickoff Creeds & Crest Classic

The two sides will meet one more time this season, with that duel set to occur at 1 p.m. Sept. 16 in Waco, Texas, as part of the Baylor Classic.

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team earned yet another come-from-behind victory, this time a 3-2 (25-27, 23-25, 26-24, 25-13, 15-11) triumph over rival UTSA Thursday night inside Strahan Coliseum.

The match kicked off the annual Creeds & Crests Classic, while also serving as the home opener for the Bobcats (5-2). TXST played in front of 1,062 raucous fans who were treated to an epic five-set thriller.

Junior Madison Daigle recorded her first career double-double after posting career highs in both kills (16) and blocks (10). Sophomore Megan Porter doubled up for the third time this year with 24 digs and 15 kills, while true freshman Brooke Johnson (25) and senior Erin Hoppe (21) dished out 46 assists.

Senior Jaliyah Bolden recorded 12 kills and a career-high-tying nine blocks, while sophomore Konner Wood set a new career best with 10 digs. Classmate Mattie Adams added 15 digs of her own.

All the key breaks went by way of the visiting squad through the opening two frames. The Roadrunners won the first set by a 27-25 margin before securing the second frame 25-23. UTSA was able to take the first by winning 13 of the final 17 points after TXST had built a 21-14 lead. The Bobcats held two set points, but both were swatted away.

Texas State again had a chance to win a period, this time holding a 22-20 lead in the second. UTSA, however, won five of the last six points to close out the game and take a commanding 2-0 advantage.

The Bobcats yet again found a late lead in a frame, with the scoreboard reading 24-21 in the third as they looked to get a set of their own in the bag. UTSA scored the next three points to notch proceedings 24-24, but an overturned call via replay challenge and a kill from sophomore Amy Pflughaupt on the next two points sent the match deeper into the night.

The Roadrunners dropped a step in the fourth set, as TXST cruised to the 25-13 win. They would not go quietly in the fifth, however, as they initially led by 4-1 and then 7-4 margins. Texas State inevitably had just a bit too much firepower for its I-35 rival, as the home side claimed 11 of the final 15 points to keep its win streak alive.

Brianna McCullouch totaled a double-double with a match-high 23 kills and 12 digs for UTSA (0-6). Amanda Gonzales battled through an injury suffered midway through the match to register 40 assists and 13 digs. Emily Ramirez (21) and Shelby Williams (10) both added double-figure digs.

Texas State paced the evening in kills (58-50), attack percentage (.161-.056), assists (55-45), digs (92-79) and blocks (20-11). Both teams registered six service aces.

The victory marked the fourth-straight for the maroon and gold. Texas State was faced with at least 2-1 deficits in three of those four triumphs.

The two sides will meet one more time this season, with that duel set to occur at 1 p.m. Sept. 16 in Waco, Texas, as part of the Baylor Classic.

The Creeds & Crests Classic continues with four matches Friday. The docket is slated to feature Houston Baptist vs. UMass Lowell (11 a.m.), SMU vs. UTSA (1 p.m.), UTSA vs. Houston Baptist (5 p.m.) and SMU vs. Texas State (7 p.m.).