Texas State volleyball finishes stay at Dayton Invitational

Staff Reports

DAYTON, Ohio — Texas State concluded its participation in this year’s Dayton Invitational by dropping a four-set match against the host Flyers on Saturday afternoon.  

Dayton (2-1) took the first point of the match’s opening set, before Jada Gardner, in her first career start as a Bobcat, tied things up with her first kill of the match. Moments later, Janell Fitzgerald delivered her first kill of the match to tie the score at 11. However, Dayton responded with a 7-2 run, before Texas State (0-3) battled back to make it a two-point match following a Caitlan Buettner kill. The Flyers reeled off six of the match’s nine points to take the first set.  

Much like the first set, the team who scored the tiebreaking point at 11-11 went on to win the second set. But this time it was Texas State breaking the tie when Courtney Heiser capitalized on an Emily DeWalt set with a kill. The play sparked a quick 3-0 Bobcat run to give Texas State some breathing room. The Flyers managed to get back to within on at 15-14, but an attack error and a Fitzgerald kill extended Texas State’s lead. A five-point scoring run over the next few minutes for the Bobcats put Texas State in prime position for Tessa Marshall’s set-ending kill.  

The trend continued in the third set as Gardner’s service ace tied the set at 11-11, but Dayton broke the tie on a Jamie Peterson kill. The Flyers did not relinquish the lead despite Texas State’s best come-from-behind efforts at 23-21 as Dayton scored back-to-back points to close out the set.  

Gardner and Fitzgerald were credited with back-to-back kills midway through the fourth set to tie the match 11, but an attack error by Lauren Teske pushed Dayton ahead to break the time. From there, the two teams tied or traded the lead over the next 14 consecutive rallies. The Flyers were the first team to get to 20, but the Bobcats scored back-to-back points to tie. The next six consecutive points were alternated before Dayton closed out the match with back-to-back points.  

FROM HEAD COACH SEAN HUIET 

“Obviously, we don’t like coming home 0-3, but we got better each match and had to overcome some adversity. I think matches like that will only make us better. I thought we played scrappy on defense — having two (student-athletes) with over 20 digs and one at 19 — in four sets, that’s pretty legit. If we can keep up that defensive effort and get our offense going, we are going to be really good. I was proud of Tessa and how she played this weekend. I’m glad she was recognized for her play on the all-tournament team.”  

STAT LEADERS 

• Kills – Janell Fitzgerald (12) 
• Assists – Emily DeWalt (38) 
• Digs – Kayla Granado (23) 
• Blocks – Tyeranee Scott (7) 

SCORES BY SET 

• 1st | Dayton 25, Texas State 20 
• 2nd | Texas State 25, Dayton 22 
• 3rd | Dayton 25, Texas State 21 
• 4th | Dayton 25, Texas State 23 

MATCH NOTES 

• A day after making her Texas State debut against No. 3 Kentucky, Jada Gardner was placed in the starting lineup for the first time this season. Gardner finished the match with 10 kills after entering Saturday’s action with eight kills through the season’s first two matches.  
• Emily DeWalt recorded her 58th career double-double as the senior setter finished the four-set match with 38 assist and 20 digs. She’s now been credited with a double-double in every match of the 2021 season.  
• Tyeranee Scott’s seven total blocks were the most by the senior middle blocker in a single match since finishing with eight against Coastal Carolina on November 22, 2020. 
• Saturday’s match marked the first time in the 2021 fall season multiple Bobcat student-athletes (DeWalt: 38 assists, 20 digs; Fitzgerald: 19 digs, 12 kills) were credited with a double-double in the same match.   
• Tessa Marshall, a junior middle blocker, was named to the Dayton Invitational All-Tournament Team. The Round Rock native finished the three-match weekend with 22 kills (.333 percentage), eight total blocks (eight assisted) and one dig en route to being credited with 26.0 points.  

UP NEXT 

• Texas State will travel to Lubbock, Texas to participate in the Red Raider Classic hosted by Texas Tech. The Bobcats will open play against the Red Raiders on Friday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m., before playing Ohio State (10:30 a.m.) and Rhode Island (5 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 4.  
• For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasStateVball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.