By Dr. Matt Powell
Texas State's final home match turned at the service line and stayed in the Bobcats' hands at the net.
After losing the opening set to San Diego State, Texas State recovered for a 19-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-18 victory Thursday night at Strahan Arena. India Bennett led the Bobcats with 15 kills on .667 hitting and seven block assists, helping Texas State close its home schedule with a second consecutive win.
The result moved Texas State to 9-16 overall and 4-10 in the Pac-12. San Diego State, which entered with 10 wins in its previous 11 matches, fell to 15-8 and 10-3.
For the Bobcats, it was a different finish from their October trip to San Diego, where the Aztecs won in three sets. This time, Texas State absorbed an early setback, survived the closest set of the night and created enough separation to finish in four.
Holding the second
San Diego State's offense had the better start. The Aztecs hit .394 in the opening set, with Layla Austin contributing seven kills. An eight-point run turned a 14-12 Texas State lead into a 20-14 advantage for the visitors, who closed the set 25-19.
The second set offered Texas State little room for another slip. A 15-11 Bobcat lead disappeared, and San Diego State led 23-22 after an Annelise Rising kill.
Bennett and Ameena Campbell answered with a block to tie it. Brooke Bentke followed with an ace, giving Texas State set point. Rising extended the set with another kill, but a San Diego State service error and attack error gave the Bobcats the final two points.
The 26-24 result evened the match. San Diego State had seven service errors in that set, a costly contribution to a finish decided by two points.
The serves that opened it up
Texas State trailed 10-7 in the third before Ashley Euston put away a kill and Peyton McKee took the serve. McKee delivered three aces during the next four points, moving the Bobcats ahead 12-10.
San Diego State tied it at 12. Texas State then scored eight straight.
Bentke started that run with a kill. With Karis Carpenter serving, Campbell added a kill, Bennett contributed another, and the Bobcats combined two blocks with Carpenter's two aces. An Aztec attack error completed the run to 20-12.
That stretch brought together the two areas that separated the teams all night. Texas State finished with eight aces and 11 team blocks, compared with five aces and seven blocks for San Diego State. McKee supplied four of the Bobcats' aces without a service error.
Bennett was involved in four blocks during the third set, including the one she shared with McKee on set point. The 25-15 win put Texas State a set from the match.
Bennett finishes efficiently
Bennett's 15 kills came on 21 attempts with just one error. Euston added eight kills and one error on 15 swings, hitting .467. Together, the two middles accounted for 23 of Texas State's 47 kills.
The Bobcats hit .267 as a team and limited San Diego State to .207. Although the Aztecs finished with eight more kills, they also committed 26 attack errors to Texas State's 15.
The work behind those attacks mattered, too. Dylan Gilkey supplied 21 assists, while Izzy Scholvin finished with 16 assists and 10 digs. Jasmine Purakal led Texas State with 13 digs. McKee added 10 digs to her nine kills, and Campbell contributed five kills, seven digs and four blocks.
In the fourth, Texas State stretched a 13-11 lead to 24-14. San Diego State saved four match points before McKee ended the night with a kill off Purakal's assist.
Austin finished with a match-high 18 kills for the Aztecs. Ella Schabort added 14 and Rising had 12. Kendall Mairs recorded 44 assists and 10 digs, her 15th double-double of the season, according to San Diego State's recap. Zara Stewart's match-high 17 digs lifted her season total from 292 entering the match to 309, taking her past 300.
Texas State now heads back on the road, with Colorado State and Fresno State remaining on its regular-season schedule. After a seven-match losing streak ended against Fresno State on Senior Day, the Bobcats have followed it with two wins at Strahan. Thursday's came through an efficient middle attack, productive serving runs and a block that grew more influential as the match went on.
Matt Powell is a professional sports content creator who crafts creative assets that drive athlete and team branding strategies.
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