From staff reports

Texas State powered through Coastal Carolina in straight sets, 25–21, 25–21, 26–24, riding a suffocating defensive presence at the net to advance in to today’s Sun Belt tournament quarterfinals.

The Bobcats piled up 13 team blocks, repeatedly closing down swings at the pins and flipping momentum in key stretches.

Middle blocker Jade Defraeye delivered a standout performance with 11 kills on .588 hitting and eight blocks, setting the tone in a physical front-row battle.

Maggie Walsh added seven kills, strong serve receive and backcourt stability, while Nina Moorer chipped in eight kills and contributed to the block structure.

Setter Dylan Gilkey steered the offense with 18 assists, helping Texas State shake off attacking inconsistencies as the Bobcats hit just .144 overall. Coastal Carolina pushed in the third set, pulling even late, but Texas State closed the door with three straight points fueled by blocking touches  and transition kills.

Texas State plays top-seeded Arkansas State in the Sun Belt semifinals today at 2 p.m. at the Foley Center in Foley, Alabama. The match airs on ESPN+.

Rice surges past UTSA in American quarterfinals

Rice showcased one of its most complete offensive outings of the season in a 25–12, 25–18, 25–17 sweep of UTSA, advancing to the American Conference semifinals with authority.

The Owls were efficient from all zones, hitting .393 as a team and posting 53 kills, overwhelming the Roadrunners with pace, balance and first-ball sideout execution.

Taylor Preston led Rice with 14 kills, while Aaliyah Smith added 13 kills at .407, punishing seams and tooling the block. Setter Kaia Mateo distributed 37 assists, keeping UTSA off balance.

UTSA saw its season end despite strong individual efforts. Taylor Gaines powered down 14 kills, and Ally Tribe contributed nine, but the Roadrunners were held to .175 hitting while facing sustained pressure.

Top-seeded Rice plays No. 5 Wichita State in the American Conference semifinals today at 11 a.m. in Tampa. The match airs on ESPN+.

North Texas bowled over by Wichita State in American quarterfinals

North Texas couldn’t withstand a blistering offensive showcase from Wichita State, falling 25–20, 25–20, 25–18 despite competitive stretches in each set.

The Mean Green hit a respectable .292, but Wichita State exploded for 49 kills at .438, winning long rallies and capitalizing on transition swings.

Jahniya Jackson paced UNT with 10 kills, while Reagan Bedell added eight and Addison Achilles contributed five kills and three blocks.

But Wichita State’s Sydney Dunning (20 kills, .410) and Brooklyn Leggett (14 kills, .545) proved too much, pushing UNT into scramble mode throughout the match.

UTEP stunned by 8-seed Missouri State in CUSA quarterfinals

UTEP’s historic postseason run ended with a stunning upset in the Conference USA quarterfinals, as the top-seeded Miners were stunned in straight sets by No. 8 seed Missouri State, falling 23–25, 22–27, 22–25. The loss halted UTEP’s bid for a championship after entering the tournament as the heavy favorite and riding one of the best seasons in program history.

Torrance Lovesee led UTEP with 13 kills, while Sara Pustahija added 11 kills and 14.5 points, and the Miners posted nine team blocks behind Hannah Crowe’s five block assists. But Missouri State hit .340 and controlled closing stretches in all three sets to seal the upset.