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HOUSTON, Texas - The HCU volleyball team fell to the Texas State Bobcats in a five-set thriller (25-19, 22-25, 25-22, 17-25, 12-15) on Friday morning.
 
HCU (0-1) started the match strong, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit with a five-point scoring run, fueled by a combination of Texas State (1-0) errors and kills by Audrey Pearce and Ana Garza. The Huskies maintained their momentum throughout the set to secure a 25-19 victory. In the second set, neither team led by more than three points at any point with the Bobcats pulling away late to take it, 25-22.
 
In the third set, the Huskies gained momentum with a strong offensive showing from Pearce, Cassidy Drapela and Ravyn Dash. HCU got ahead by five late, 23-18, but four-straight points from the Bobcats made it a one-point set before a kill by Pearce and an attack error gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead.
 
Texas State took advantage of eight attack errors by HCU to pull away in the fourth set, closing it out 25-17, leveling the match at two sets each and forcing a decisive fifth set.
 
In that fifth set, HCU earned the first two points but the next three went to Texas State. The set remained close, eventually settling at 9-8 in the Bobcats' favor before a four-point run put the Huskies down by five. HCU clawed back to within two, 14-12, before Texas State secured the final point with a kill from Ryann Torres, sealing the set 15-12 and the match.
 
The Huskies were led by Pierce, who finished with 17 kills and just one attack error on 27 attempts. Garza finished with 12 kills and five blocks while Dash tallied 10 kills in her collegaite debut. Setter Grace McLaughlin ended the match with 48 assists and also added 17 digs. Texas State had four players with at least 12 kills, led by MJ McCurdy with 16.
 
The Huskies will return to play this evening at Tudor Fieldhouse against the Owls at 7:00 p.m.