San Marcos, TX – (Contributed) – October 19, 2024 – 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 2013.

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.

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.