CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina volleyball team fell 3-2 (25-22, 20-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7) to the Texas State Bobcats on Thursday evening at the HTC Center on the campus of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. With the loss, CCU dropped to 17-11 on the season and 9-6 in Sun Belt Conference play, while the Bobcats improved to 21-6 overall and 13-2 in league play with the win.
 
Coastal's offense was led by Ella Saada with 16 kills, while Kendall Harris and Jasmine Rivest tallied 15 spikes each. Saada has reach double-digit kills in 13 consecutive matches and 16 of the 24 matches she has appeared this year.
 
Setter Brigitta Petrenko totaled 50 assists to aid her team in the five set loss.
 
Defensively, middle blocker Christina Nance finished with five of the team's eight blocks with four being solo stops. Defensive specialist Lina Perugini dug 24 of the Texas State kill attempts, while Petrenko and Saada added 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
 
In the opening set, the two teams traded the first 10 points before the Chanticleers jumped in front at 7-5 on a pair of points by Rivest. Coastal increased its lead to four at 12-8 with a 4-1 burst, highlighted by three spikes by Saada, only to see the Bobcats outscore the host team 10-4 for the 18-16 advantage.
 
The Chants fought back with a 4-0 surge to retake the lead at 20-18, sparked by a Texas State miscue and capped by a Saada kill. However, the Bobcats picked up the opening set 25-22 win by outscoring CCU 7-2 over the final nine points of the set.
 
Trailing in the match 1-0, Coastal and Texas State traded the first 21 points of set two to give the Bobcats an 11-10 advantage before Coastal jumped in front 13-11 with three unanswered points aided by a pair of spikes by Rivest. After the visitors from San Marcos, Texas, answered with a 3-0 run for a 14-13 lead, both teams traded the next 13 points to even the set at 20-20.
 
The Chanticleers evened the match at 1-1 by closing out the second set with five unanswered points for the 25-20 set-two win, highlighted by kills by Nyla Shepherd and Rivest.
 
With the match knotted up at one set each, Coastal jumped out to a 5-3 third-set advantage only to see the Bobcats tie the set up at 9-9 by outscoring CCU 6-4 over the next 10 rallies. The two teams traded the next 10 points before Texas State took a 17-15 advantage with a 3-0 surge.
 
Over the next six points, the Bobcats remained in front by two at 20-18, just to see Coastal fight back with five unanswered points, highlighted by a pair of service aces by Saada, to take a 23-20 advantage. CCU picked up the third-set win at 25-23 as Harris put down a pair of spikes.
 
Despite trailing in the match 2-1, the Bobcats opened an early 2-0 lead before the Chants answered with a pair of points on kills by Saada and Rivest to even the fourth set at 2-2. With the score even, Texas State began to open its lead by outscoring CCU two to one to take the 8-5 advantage.
 
Coastal Carolina would get within two points over the next few rallies but was unable to get any closer than 14-12 as the Bobcats answered each rally. Texas State increased its lead to 21-14 with a 7-2 surge only to trade the final nine points to even the match at two sets each with a 25-19 fourth-set win.
 
In the fifth and final set, the Bobcats raced out to an 8-0 advantage and forced the Chants to call both of their timeouts early in the set. Saada put the Chanticleers on the scoreboard with her 15th kill only to see the two teams trade the final 13 points to allow Texas State to escape with the 15-7 fifth-set win to clinch the match 3-2.
 
Coastal Carolina will return to action on Friday, Nov. 11, as the Chanticleers will host Texas State in Conway, S.C. Before the opening serve, CCU will honor the three Chants that will conclude their collegiate careers. The first serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
 
For complete coverage of CCU women's volleyball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalVball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.