ULM (6-8 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) vs. Texas State (8-4 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference)
6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022 | WATCH: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS | ADMISSION: $5
2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, 2022 | WATCH: ESPN+ | LIVE STATS | ADMISSION: $5
MATCH NOTES
MONROE, La. -Â The ULM volleyball team opens Sun Belt Conference play at 6 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Friday against Texas State at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
The Warhawks closed non-conference play over the weekend at the Battle for the Boot at Southeastern in Hammond, Louisiana, going 2-1, picking up a 3-0 win over Southern and a 3-2 win over Northwestern State sandwiched around a 3-0 loss to Southeastern.
Madeline Williams and
Brynn Botkin were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Texas State enters SBC play at 8-4 after going 2-1 at the Horned Frog Invitational over the weekend. The Bobcats opened the weekend with a 3-2 win over Abilene Christian and ended the weekend with a 3-1 victory against TCU. In between, Texas State lost to Alabama, 3-0. Emily DeWalt was named Best Setter of the Horned Frog Invitational, while Janell Fitzgerald also was named to the All-Tournament Team.
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS -
Links to live stats for all matches are available on ULMWarhawks.com. Navigate to the volleyball schedule page and select that day's opponent. All nine home matches and select road matches will stream on ESPN+. Links to stream the match also are available on the volleyball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com.
RECAP -
The ULM volleyball team went 2-1 over three matches last weekend at the Battle for the Boot in Hammond, Louisiana. The Warhawks defeated Southern, 3-0, and lost to host Southeastern, 3-0, on Friday. ULM bounced back with a 3-2 win over Northwestern State on Saturday.
Madeline Williams and
Brynn Botkin were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
In the first match Friday against Southern, the Warhawks had a hitting percentage of .316 and had eight service aces in the victory. Botkin tallied 12 kills and Williams nine to lead ULM.
Cameron Rogers and
Taylor Thomas topped the defensive effort for the Warhawks with five digs each. Rogers had five of ULM's eight service aces, two back-to-back to help ULM pull away from a 17-15 lead to a 25-15 final in the third set. Her five aces set a ULM record for a three-set match in the 25-point rally scoring era.
Williams led the Warhawks in kills (7), service aces (2) and blocks (2) in the second match against Southeastern, sharing team-high honors with
Kailey Friedrich in aces (2) and
Logan Jeffus in the blocks category (2). Rogers tied
Callie Humphrey with seven digs for the team best.
Williams matched her career high with 19 kills and added seven digs and six blocks to her total in Saturday's tournament finale vs. NSU. Botkin added 16 kills, while
Tessa Gerwig chipped in 13 kills and three blocks.
SERIES HISTORY -
Texas State leads the series, 52-2. Texas State has won 21 consecutive matches in the series. The last 13 matches have come by 3-0 scores, giving the Bobcats 41 consecutive set victories against ULM. Texas State won both meetings last year, one in San Marcos and one at Fant-Ewing Coliseum, by 3-0 scores. ULM last defeated Texas State, 3-2, on Nov. 11, 2005, at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. ULM's other victory in series history was 3-2 on Oct. 11, 2002.
WARHAWKS IN NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS -
ULM ranks inside the Top 50 in NCAA Division I in team total attacks (sixth at 1,958, leads Sun Belt Conference), team digs (seventh at 833, leads SBC), team assists (29th at 575, leads SBC), team kills (30th at 629, leads SBC) and team attacks per set (37th at 36.26, second in SBC).
Individually inside the Top 100 in NCAA Division I,
Madeline Williams is 38th nationally in points (198.0, third in SBC), 54th in total kills (165, third in SBC) and 100th in hitting percentage (.349, fifth in SBC);
Cameron Rogers is 39th in total digs (208, third in SBC); and
Bailey Roberson is 66th in total assists (402, sixth in SBC) and 94th in service aces (18, sixth in SBC).
A LOOK AHEAD -
ULM continues Sun Belt Conference play next weekend, taking on South Alabama in Mobile. Match times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.
