MONROE, La. – The ULM volleyball team opened up Sun Belt conference play on Friday (Sept. 21), hosting West Division leader Texas State. The Warhawks and Bobcats battled in all three sets, but it would be Texas State who came out victorious as ULM fell in three sets (25-19, 25-13, 25-19).

"Tonight's match was a battle," said head volleyball coach Russ Friedland. "Texas State is a powerhouse in the Sun Belt and we fought them hard. We felt prepared for them but just fell shot on a few key aspects of the match."
 
ULM and TXST rallied back and forth throughout set one. The Warhawks were within two of the Bobcats, trailing 21-19 after a kill by freshman Karlee Wilkerson, but Texas State delivered four straight kills to close out the 25-19 set one win.
 
Set two proved troubling for the Warhawks, despite scoring the first two points of the set. Texas State regrouped and would go on to claim 12 of the next 13 points, giving them a 12-3 lead midway through the match. ULM would manage ten additional points, but the Bobcats would capitalize on five-straight errors by the Warhawks to take set two, 25-13.
 
The Warhawks revived their fight in set three, claiming the opening point for the third time on the night. ULM would open up set three with a 4-1 lead before Texas State's Janell Fitzgerald earned two kills that propelled the Bobcats into a set-tying rally. ULM and TXST would tie five more times before the end of the set.
 
Three kills and a service ace for Texas State would give them a 21-17 lead that the Warhawks would be unable to recover from. ULM would drop the third and final set, 25-19.

"The crowd was huge for us tonight. It's fun to look out there and see the support for this program. We are working so hard in the gym and I'm glad our campus and community is coming out to back us," said Friedland.
 
The Warhawks reputation as a highly defensive team stood true out blocking the Bobcats, 12-8 with seven team blocks for ULM and only four for Texas State. Senior Taylor Wood and Wilkerson led all players with four blocks.

"We were able to contain their biggest arm on the outside pin which we were focused on. I loved our block-game tonight," Friedland said. "We got some huge stops at the net and some big time digs in the back row."
 
Texas State had an impressive offensive showing, earning 49 kills to ULM's 28 despite being out attacked by the Warhawks, 96-95. ULM has not won a match in which they tallied less than 30 kills.
 
ULM returns to Fant-Ewing for the final game of its four-game home series on Sunday (Sept. 23) when they host UT-Arlington at noon.

"This was a great reality check for us as a program. We know what we need to work on and feel like they are all controllable. Texas State is a program that we aspire to be like, and its good for us to see where we are against the top of the conference right off the bat. We will be right back in the gym tomorrow morning, preparing for UTA on Sunday."