PULLMAN, Wash. (October 24, 2026) — Washington State women's volleyball defeated Texas State 3-1 Saturday in Bohler Gym.
The Cougars (9-10, 4-5 Pac-12) hit .260 with 50 kills, nine aces and 14 blocks while holding TSU to a .180 hitting percentage. TSU committed 28 attack errors to WSU's 18, and the Cougars held advantages at the net and from the service line, finishing with 14 total blocks to TSU's seven and nine aces to TSU's three.
Naomi White finished with eight total blocks, six kills on .385 hitting and two service aces.
Livia Ward recorded 26 assists and four service aces.
Emerson Matthews tallied 11 kills, eight digs, two blocks and one service ace.
Eliana Ti'a matched Matthews with 11 kills and added four blocks.
WSU moved in front 4-2 on consecutive kills by Kryssa Moerman and Kate Hayhurst, and kills by Ti'a and Matthews helped keep it ahead 7-5. Ward then served four straight Cougars points from 7-5 to 11-5, a stretch that included a Matthews kill, a service ace and blocks involving White, Audrey Hollis and Matthews. WSU led 20-15 after kills by Hayhurst and Hollis before TSU scored three straight with a kill and consecutive blocks to tie the set at 22-22. Two TSU attack errors put the Cougars at set point, and after a service error made it 24-23, Hayhurst finished the set with a kill from Hollis for a 25-23 win.
WSU trailed 7-6 in the second set before White tied it with a kill, and the Cougars moved ahead 11-8 behind a block involving Hollis and White, a Matthews kill and another White block. WSU later led 17-13, but TSU worked back from an 18-15 deficit to a 19-18 lead after a kill and three straight Cougars attack errors. White tied it at 19-19 and Matthews served an ace for 20-19, and WSU went back in front 23-21 on kills by Ti'a and Moerman before TSU tied the set at 23-23. After Ti'a's kill gave the Cougars set point at 24-23, TSU answered with the final three points to take the set 26-24.
WSU moved ahead 3-1 in the third set on White's ace and a pair of TSU attack errors, but TSU used two kills to keep the score tied at 6-6 and again at 7-7. The Cougars created separation with four straight points to go up 11-7 behind a block by White and Matthews, a Matthews kill and a White kill, then added another four-point run after TSU stayed within 17-12, including two Hayhurst points and a TSU attack error, to stretch the lead to 21-12. TSU cut the margin to 23-17 with an ace, but White and Whitney Dewicki combined for a block to reach set point, and Moerman finished the set with a kill for a 25-18 WSU win.
After the fourth set was even at 6-6, WSU moved to 9-6 on back-to-back Kambree Rodriguez service aces, and Hayhurst's kill later made it 10-7. With the Cougars ahead 10-7, Ward served six straight points as TSU committed three attack errors. Dewicki and White teamed on consecutive blocks, and then Ward added two aces and Matthews put down a kill for a 16-7 lead. TSU scored three straight points after WSU reached 17-8, but White answered with a kill and a service ace as the Cougars pushed the margin back to 19-11. Moerman and Ti'a added kills down the stretch, and Matthews delivered kills for set point and the final point to close the set 25-17.
Notes
- WSU tallied a season-high nine service aces in the match.
- The Cougars surpassed 200 blocks for the season, currently sitting at 211.
- Kate Hayhurst recorded a season-high hitting percentage of .444.
- Livia Ward recorded a career-high of four service aces.
- Kyrssa Moerman has recorded four or more total blocks in four straight matches.
- Moerman has 496 career kills, four from 500.
- White has 492 career kills, eight shy of 500.
- Matthews has 439 career kills, 61 away from 500.
- Hollis has 1,377 career assists, 123 shy of 1,500.
The WSU volleyball team travels to Logan, Utah, to face Utah State Thursday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m.
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