It was “scary” for Sean Huiet to take the Texas State head volleyball coaching job.
It wasn’t just that he had to follow the footsteps of Karen Chisum, who had led the Bobcats for the last 40 seasons and punctuated her career with a pair of Sun Belt titles. It was also that winning a third consecutive championship was going to be much harder than winning the first two.
Some of the reasons were obvious. In addition to losing Chisum, Texas State also lost former Sun Belt Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in Cheyenne Huskey and Micah Dinwiddie, respectively. But there were other reasons that even Huiet couldn’t have foreseen at the time. The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly halted his first-ever spring camp after just six weeks. The team’s regular season schedule was altered from top to bottom and the format of the conference tournament was modified as well.
Key players were sidelined throughout the year, either due to injury or COVID contact tracing protocols. One of those absences took place in the final match of the year, when the team chose to rest senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott against UT Arlington on Nov. 21 while she was dealing with a minor injury. The Mavericks swept the maroon and gold, costing the Bobcats their share of the regular season title.
But as rugged as the road to a three-peat in the Sun Belt tournament was for Texas State, it led the team to the same destination. The No. 15 Bobcats defeated No. 12 Coastal Carolina in the championship match on Sunday in Foley, Alabama, to claim a third consecutive conference championship, 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19, 15-6).
FINAL: #TXST 3, #CCU 2
— Drew King (@drewking0222) November 22, 2020
Janell Fitzgerald scores the final kill of the fifth set to claim a 15-6 win and the Bobcats become the third school in #SunBelt history to three-peat as tournament champions ? @smdrsports pic.twitter.com/e8vKyoMsfZ
“We are feeling really good right now,” Huiet said. “This season I preached all year that it is going to take everyone to win this thing. We had to overcome a lot of adversity in 2020 like everyone else, but what I think makes this team so unique is that you never knew whose night it was going to be. Anyone’s number can be called at any time and they are always ready to step up.”
Scott’s number got called often on Sunday. Texas State (24-2, 15-1 Sun Belt) struggled offensively in the first set, hitting for -0.029% and receiving just one kill from its outside hitters. The team’s only form of offense came from its middle blockers, as Scott and junior Jillian Slaughter combined for seven kills.
After the Bobcats dropped the first set, 25-20, they turned to Scott to swing the momentum. With the score tied at 2-2 in the second set, Scott produced a block or kill on all five of the next points, single-handedly producing a 5-0 run for Texas State. The Bobcats went on to win the frame, 25-18, tying the match up at 1-1. Scott finished the afternoon with a career-high 18 kills and eight blocks and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, becoming the fourth player in program history to receive the award along with Caylin Mahoney (2013), Madison Daigle (2018) and Huskey (2019).
“She didn't get to play last weekend and she really wanted to get in there against UTA and make a difference and help us win the regular season,” Huiet said. “And I just told her, you know, ‘We're going to need you next weekend. It doesn't make sense for you to be out there and reinjure yourself or do something. We need you at 100%.’ And I just thought it was icing on the cake that she was named MOP of the tournament because she put the team on her back a lot of times this weekend and just played amazing.”
Texas State received a bit of a break in the second set as Chanticleers junior outside hitter Annett Nemeth, who led the league with 4.44 kills per set this year, injured her left knee and did not return. Coastal Carolina (18-1,16-0) responded well, though, taking the third frame 25-23.
“We have a ton of nice kids,” Huiet said. “When it was happening, they were like, 'I feel bad, I feel bad.' And I was like ‘Yes, we all feel bad, but this is a competitive match and they're gonna rally around it. They're a good team. They aren't undefeated just because of Annett, they have some really good players and the rest of them are going to be ready to go, too.’”
The Bobcats adjusted in the final two sets, winning 25-19 and 15-6 to earn the 3-2 victory and their third Sun Belt title. The team did all of its championship traditions after the match, dogpiling in the middle of the court, slipping on a Ring Pop and receiving its trophy from Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill.
Huiet said Texas State will take a couple of days to celebrate the win and allow the players to return home for Thanksgiving. With the tournament victory, the Bobcats earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament taking place in April. The team can schedule up to 15 matches between now and then to stay in shape and continue competing at a high level.
And while the head coach is happy to continue the maroon and gold’s championship streak, he noted before the season that Texas State’s goal, truthfully, is to make a Sweet 16 appearance. The Bobcats have a long way to go to get there.
“I don't think we've played our best volleyball yet,” Huiet said. “I don't think all seven of us that are on the court and everyone has played really well at the same time. Now's better than ever.”
