SAN MARCOS, Texas (10/19/24) – Kaitlin Whitlock recorded a match-high 13 kills and 15 digs on Saturday afternoon, aiding the Arkansas State volleyball team to a 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-14) win over Texas State inside Strahan Arena.
Whitlock helped A-State (16-4, 6-2 SBC) break an 11-match skid against the Bobcats (11-8, 5-3), its first over Texas State since 2019 and first in San Marcos since 2015.
The Red Wolves' defense once again showed out, holding Texas State to just .077 hitting – including just .026 in the final three sets – while knocking down 11 blocks. With the win, A-State matched last season's win total and exceeded last year's conference wins mark with eight matches remaining in the regular season. Texas State's .077 mark was also its lowest hitting percentage of the season.
The Red Wolves hit .213 as a squad, with Haley Glunz hitting a team-best .316 with eight kills and five blocks. Daedrianna Cail also tallied five blocks to go along with five kills to hit .308. Valeria Ortiz doled out a team-high 19 assists to pace the A-State offense.
Defensively, Sarah Martinez had a match-high 17 digs, while Erin Madigan joined Whitlock with a double-double performance of 12 digs and 16 assists. At the net, Whitlock and Addison Collum had a trio of blocks.
The hosts struck first, taking the first three points of the match and not trailing in the opening set to win 25-19 and lead by a set. Samantha Wunsch tallied six of her 12 kills in the first set alone, while the Bobcats took advantage of several A-State miscues to win the frame.
A-State returned the favor in the second set, opening with an ace by Mia Maloney – one of her three in the match – to take a lead that would not be lost. Devyn Lewis delivered a kill to push the Red Wolves' lead out to 15-5, and then Glunz later scored on a kill to make it 20-12. A-State went on to win the set 25-17, holding Texas State to an .059 clip, and level the match at a set apiece.
After Texas State held an early lead in the third set, Arkansas State closed the third set on an 11-2 run to take a 2-1 lead. The stout Red Wolves' defense continued to limit TXST's attackers to the tune of an .024 attack percentage, winning the set 25-15.
The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth set, until the Scarlet and Black closed on a 13-1 run to clinch the match. A-State hit .379 in the final stanza, while the Bobcats closed with a .000 mark.
NEXT UP
A-State returns home to face Troy next week, taking on the Trojans Thursday (6 p.m.) and Friday (4 p.m.) inside First National Bank Arena. Both matches will be broadcast live on ESPN Plus.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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