Southern Miss volleyball dropped a three-set match against Texas State on Saturday afternoon at the Wellness Center (25-23, 25-20, 25-11). The loss moves the Golden Eagles to 14-9 overall and 6-6 in Sun Belt play.
The Golden Eagles came out strong in the first set, finding early rhythm on offense and connecting quickly to the net. A few early kills from Sadie McAda helped Southern Miss build a 7-3 lead. With Morgen Durgens setting efficiently, the Eagles held a 15-11 advantage midway through the set. Texas State, however, rallied late, tying things up at 16 before using a run of aces to grab the lead. Despite late kills from McAda and Brynn Botkin, Southern Miss fell just short, 25-23.
The second set featured tight play early on as both teams traded points. McAda and Lillie Johnson kept the Eagles close, and back-to-back kills assisted by Durgens pushed Southern Miss ahead 14-11. But Texas State answered with a 6-0 run fueled by tough serving and defense, swinging the momentum. Southern Miss continued to fight, but the Bobcats held firm to take the set, 25-20.
Texas State carried that momentum into the third set, racing out to a 7-2 lead. After a timeout, Southern Miss responded with a Gaby Zovko ace and kills from Botkin and Stewart, but the Bobcats’ blocking proved too strong. Texas State closed the match on a dominant run, taking the final set 25-11 to complete the sweep.
Southern Miss will look to bounce back next weekend when they travel to Troy, Alabama, for a two-match series against Troy on Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8
