Texas State volleyball makes historical past, sweeps Utah State in first Pac-12 convention sport

SAN MARCOS – Before Texas State volleyball made historical past Thursday towards Utah State, it bought a talking-to from a determine who is aware of a number of issues about writing information.

Coach Sean Huiet mentioned that his predecessor Karen Chisolm, who led the Bobcats for 40 years earlier than retiring in 2019, stunned them within the locker room through the week. Huiet did not know she’d be there. But the legend’s speech lit a hearth underneath him and Texas State, as “solely she will be able to do.”

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“At one level, she was like, ‘You get to go at school historical past, and get the first win in Pac-12. You are going to be at school historical past,'” Huiet mentioned.

MORE: How Bobcats stack up in new Pac-12

Chisolm’s phrases struck a chord with the roster. The Bobcats went on to turn into the primary of the Texas State athletic applications to win a Pac-12 conference sport, defeating the Aggies 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23).

Things did not begin nice. After two consecutive five-set losses, Texas State got here out of the gate sluggish, heading right into a timeout down 14-7 within the first set. The Aggies’ serves disrupted the Bobcats’ circulation of assault, whereas setter Anna Blaine and her hitters weren’t fairly syncing up.

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But volleyball is a sport of momentum. Points cumulate shortly, and the Bobcats rattled off a 13-5 run out of the break to take a 20-19 lead. The Aggies wavered, dropped the primary set and by no means recovered. Huiet mentioned that if Texas State misplaced that opening set, he is unsure how the remainder of the sport would’ve gone.

“Our highs have been excessive, and our lows have been low. We’ve been attempting to even that out a bit bit,” Huiet mentioned. “I believe that set the tone.”

A championship mindset

Texas State exterior hitter Brooke Bentke was her normal spectacular self, recording 15 kills on 30 assaults and 9 digs. Fellow exterior hitter Peyton McKee had the next-most kills, with 10, however the Missouri State switch’s relentless vitality stood out much more than her ferocious assaults.

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Nearly each time McKee’s assault resulted in a Texas State level, she’d look completely beside herself. Pumping her fist, screaming, hugging her teammate, doing an ideal rendition of the worm, the sophomore introduced a degree of pleasure to the courtroom that saved the Bobcats rolling even when issues weren’t going completely.

MORE: What the Pac-12 learned from past failures

During Texas State’s reverse sweep over UT-Arlington earlier within the season, McKee mentioned she observed the impact her optimism had on the group. She’s taken that mindset to each sport since.

“I may not all the time be on with my kills or my hits, however I can all the time deliver one thing to the desk,” McKee mentioned.

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Texas State athletics has been constant in its messaging that it is not completely satisfied simply being within the Pac-12. The Bobcats’ requirements have risen; they’re aiming for championships throughout all sports activities.

They had been picked to complete third in a nine-team convention that might present some strong midmajor volleyball. Colorado State, polled because the first-place group, made the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and was a postseason mainstay from 2000-19. Washington State had an NCAA streak that lasted practically a decade, ending in 2023.

For Texas State, Thursday was only one match. But in sweeping Utah State on Thursday, the Bobcats took step one in making its lofty objectives in a brand new convention a actuality.

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This article initially printed at Texas State volleyball makes history, sweeps Utah State in first Pac-12 conference game.