Stephen F. Austin
Texas State
Ladyjacks Fall In SLC Tournament Final
11/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 22, 2009
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Ladyjack volleyball team got 18 kills from Mary Caitlin Bottles, but Texas State's offense was too much on Sunday as the Bobcats ended the Ladyjacks' season with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-17) win in the finals of the Southland Conference Tournament at the Convocation Center.
SFA (24-13) got down early 2-0, but rallied to take the third set before Texas State (22-12) took the fourth set and the title with its 13th consecutive victory behind 18 kills from tournament MVP Mo Middleton.
"They left it all out there and as a coach you can't ask for any more than that," head coach Debbie Humphreys said. "I'm proud of how they played and how we improved over the course of the year. But I really wanted this for the seniors, it's unfortunate really for them that it's over."
Bottles, along with senior Ashley Bailey, were named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the match. Bottles finished just one kill shy of a career high and only had a pair of misfires out of 36 swings, and even rejected five shots in the process. Bailey finished with 10 kills and three blocks and was joined by Kelsey Owens with 10 kills as well.
Overall the Ladyjacks swung at a .250 clip but fell for only the second time this season when reaching that offensive mark due primarily to the .287 hitting of the Bobcats. Texas State managed to hit over .300 in three of the match's four sets.
"Texas State just has so many weapons, especially offensively and they played well," Humphreys said. "We've overcome a lot this year and to make it this far and finish with 24 wins on the year."
The service line was not kind to the Ladyjacks with 12 service errors aiding the `Cats, who turned back SFA for the third time in the last six years in the title match.
"We knew we had to try and crank it up at the service line today and it was certainly frustrating when you look back on that aspect of the match," Humphreys said.
SFA got four of Bottles' kills in the first set, but it was the Texas State offense that was clicking early as they hit .303 behind a set-high four kills from Melinda Cave. The `Cats led by as much as six at 20-14 with SFA only managing to side out at a 45 percent mark.
The second set was much the same with Texas State putting together a 5-1 run midway through the frame to get its largest lead at 20-14 once again before Bailey put a stop to that with one of her three kills in the set. However, Jessica Weynand delivered two kills in the final five `Cat points, including the final dagger off a pass from Shelbi Irvin.
The Ladyjacks then put together their most complete set of the night, overcoming five service errors and fighting back after Texas State took an 18-17 lead to take its first set of the day. Bottles was on fire in the frame, landing eight passes from Paloma Buckner for kills in the third set alone. However, she was one of six Ladyjacks to score in the final stretch with Bailey landing the final point and cutting the lead to 2-1.
But the fourth set reverted back to sets one and two as Texas State hit .344 and got five kills and an ace from Middleton. Texas State used a pair of SFA miscues early on to get a 10-6 lead, and that was all they would need to cruise to the finish line with the Ladyjacks never getting back to within two points the remainder of the way.
SFA finished the year with its sixth consecutive 20-win season and has made the SLC Tournament in each of its 23 years, making it the only SLC school to do so.
-SFA-
