SAN MARCOS — UTSA dropped a 3-1 (24-26, 25-19, 18-25, 23-25) decision at I-35 rival Texas State on Friday night at the Delta Zeta Classic.
Dempsey Thornton’s season-high 22 kills and Jordan Kotara’s career day paced the Roadrunners, who dropped to 2-2 on the season.
Thornton was on fire to start the match, as she registered seven kills in the opening frame. She closed the match with another seven in the deciding set. Thornton also hit .315 for the match, to go along with three digs and one block.
Meanwhile, Kotara tallied nine kills and had a career night in both digs and blocks with 19 and five, respectively.
UTSA battled in the opening set after overcoming an early 6-2 deficit. The Roadrunners tied the score on five occasions, as multiple runs led to the slow comeback.
UTSA rattled off five consecutive points, including Thornton’s tip over the net, to even the score at 20-all. Back-to-back defensive miscues by the Bobcats brought the final tie of the frame, but UTSA was unable to capitalize dropping the first set, 26-24.
The Roadrunners came out strong in the second set, as they hit .263 and while holding the Bobcats to a .064 attack percentage. UTSA used an energetic defense that totaled three team blocks and 20 digs.
After the final tie at 8-all, UTSA used an 8-1 run to take a 16-9 lead. The Bobcats (3-3) tried to close the gap by scoring four straight points, but they were taken off their game on an attack error by Lauren Kirch. A kill by Kylie Schott, her fourth of the game, secured the 25-19 set win.
Momentum shifted in the third set, as Texas State won by a score of 25-18. The Bobcats hit a match-high .312 and held UTSA to a .167 attack percentage. Texas State led the entire way following a 10-3 run that extended its lead to 17-9 and it also scored the final three points of the stanza.
UTSA was unable to extend the match to five after dropping the fourth set by a count of 25-23. The set saw five ties and three lead changes heading into the final stretch. Kotara scored the final point for the Roadrunners to knot the score at 23-all, but a kill by Kirch and UTSA error halted the Bobcats' two-match losing streak.
The Roadrunners will conclude tournament play at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday against Wichita State (3-3).