Texas State volleyball returns to Strahan Arena to open home slate

Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS — After opening its 2021 fall schedule with seven consecutive matches on the road, the Texas State volleyball program will open its home slate of matches on Friday morning to begin the Bobcat Invitational.

Texas State will play the University of Alabama at 11 a.m., before returning to the court later in the day to play Miami (FL) at 6:30 p.m. Both Bobcat matches will be streamed on ESPN+ with Brant Freeman and Ali McArthur calling the action.

Alabama and Miami (FL) will conclude the two-day event with a match at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11.

LOOKING AT THE BOBCATS

Texas State junior middle blocker Tessa Marshall enters Friday’s two games ranked No. 5 in the Sun Belt Conference in hitting percentage (minimum 3.0 total attacks per set) with a .379 mark. The Round Rock native has been credited with 50 kills in 103 total attacks. Marshall is just .001 back of ULM’s Logan Jeffus (38-79) for the fourth spot.

In the seven matches of the 2021 schedule, sophomore setter Ryann Torres is one assist shy of 100 on the season after entering this season with only 40 total assists through her first season as a Bobcat in 2020-21.

Friday’s match against Alabama will mark the first home match for Texas State since March 25, 2021, when the Bobcats beat North Texas in straight sets. Over the course of the 2020 fall and 2021 spring seasons, TXST posted an 11-5 record inside Strahan Arena. 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

Alabama comes to San Marcos with a 5-2 overall record to start the 2021 season. The Crimson Tide opened the new campaign by knocking off Austin Peay, Marshall and Miami (OH) at the Marshall Invitational. Since then, the Crimson Tide dropped a four-set match against Troy, beat Buffalo and Southern Miss and lost in straight sets to Kennesaw State.

For the second straight week, Alabama junior Dru Kuck was named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Defensive Player of the Week. Kuck, who transferred to Alabama following a two-year stint at Kansas State, started all three matches of the Crimson Tide Invitational at libero and led the team with 60 digs to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. She’s the first Alabama student-athlete to win multiple Defensive Player of the Week awards since Cidavia Hall in 2018.

Miami (FL) travels over to Texas for this weekend’s action sporting a 5-0 overall record with wins over Tarleton State, FIU, UMBC and two over USF. Angela Grieve leads the team with 60 kills in 151 total attacks (.225 hitting percentage) with Savannah Vach setting the table with 154 assists in 14 sets played. Vach also tied with Peyman Yardmici for the team lead with seven service aces. Janice Leao has been credited with a team-high 24 total blocks, while Priscilla Hernanez had dug the most attacks with 61 so far this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Alabama and Texas State head into Friday morning’s match with an all-time series record of 2-2. The Bobcats won the first two meetings in the series, which dates to Sept. 24, 1993, but the Crimson Tide have won the previous two matches. This weekend’s match will mark the first time the two have played since August 27, 2011, in Tuscaloosa. It marks the first match in San Marcos between the two programs since Sept. 11, 2010.

Miami (FL) and Texas State have only squared off on a volleyball court one time prior to Friday night’s match: August 29, 2008, when the Hurricanes knocked off the Bobcats in four sets.