Texas State tops UTSA for Southland Conference Tournament Championship
CONWAY, Ark. - Texas State built a 2-0 deficit that proved to be too much for UTSA and the Bobcats won 25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 25-17 in the Southland Conference Tournament Championship Match on Sunday afternoon at the Farris Center.
The Roadrunners (22-11) won the third set to extend the contest, but the Bobcats (27-7) used a complete effort in the fourth to gain the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
Sophomore McKenzie Adams, who was named to the all-tournament team, registered a match-high 17 kills for UTSA, which was held to a .182 hitting percentage.
Adams was joined on the squad by senior Kelsey Jewasko, who tallied 17 saves and became the program's all-time digs leader (2,280).
Texas State received 12 winners from Amari Deardorff and a double-double from Caleigh McCorquodale, who recorded 40 assists and 14 digs.
Adams posted five kills, but the Roadrunners were limited to a .120 hitting percentage as Texas State claimed the opening frame.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 12-5 lead but UTSA answered with a 12-6 run, capped off by a winner from Adams, to pull within one (18-17). However, Texas State pushed the lead back to six points (24-18) and held off the Birds for a five-point win.
UTSA improved its offensive performance in the second set to a .237 clip, but the Bobcats' steady attack pushed their lead to 2-0. Adams racked up six more kills for the Roadrunners in a panel that featured 11 ties and four lead changes.
The Birds pulled out to a 7-3 advantage but Texas State managed to pull even with a 6-2 spurt. From there, the stanza remained close with neither squad leading by more than three.
Junior Whitney Walls gave UTSA a 22-21 lead with a cross-court winner, but the Bobcats tied up the set after Jewasko's serve went into the net. Following a kill by Melissa Toth and an attack error by Walls, Texas State's Ashlee Hilbun gave the top seed a 2-0 lead with a well-placed tip.
UTSA rebounded with a nine-point win in the third frame by holding the Bobcats to a negative .059 hitting percentage.
Texas State took a 1-0 lead but back-to-back kills by Walls gave the Roadrunners the lead for good.
With the fourth set tied at 11-all, the Bobcats reeled off a 4-0 spurt that pushed the game out of reach. UTSA could only cut the lead to two before Texas State pulled away to claim the victory.
Juniors Brittney Malloy and Walls each netted 11 kills for the Birds while redshirt junior Kelsey Schwirtlich tallied a match-high 46 assists.
