Texas State Volleyball Sweeps Utah State for School's First Pac-12 Win
The short version
- Texas State beat Utah State 3-0 on Sept. 24, 2026, the school's first Pac-12 win in any sport.
- The Bobcats trailed 14-7 in set one before a 13-5 run flipped the match.
- Brooke Bentke had 15 kills and nine digs; Peyton McKee added 10 kills.
- Texas State was picked third in the nine-team Pac-12; Colorado State was the preseason favorite.
- Former 40-year coach Karen Chisolm addressed the team before the historic match.
The Bobcats rallied from an early deficit to beat the Aggies 3-0 in San Marcos, becoming the first Texas State program to win a Pac-12 conference game.
Texas State volleyball defeated Utah State 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-23) on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in San Marcos, delivering the university's first win as a Pac-12 member in any sport.
Before the match, coach Sean Huiet said former coach Karen Chisolm, who led the Bobcats for 40 years before retiring in 2019, made a surprise visit to the locker room during the week. Huiet said he did not know she would be there.
Chisolm told the team it had a chance to make school history by recording the program's first Pac-12 victory. According to Huiet, her message motivated both him and the roster.
The opening set began poorly for Texas State, which trailed 14-7 and called timeout while struggling against Utah State's serving. Setter Anna Blaine and the team's hitters were not in sync early on.
Out of the break, the Bobcats went on a 13-5 run to take a 20-19 lead, won the first set, and controlled the rest of the match. Huiet said losing that opening set could have changed the outcome entirely, noting the team has experienced both high and low moments this season and is working to level them out.
Texas State entered the match after two consecutive five-set losses. Outside hitter Brooke Bentke led the offense with 15 kills on 30 attacks and added nine digs. Fellow outside hitter Peyton McKee, a Missouri State transfer, recorded 10 kills.
McKee, a sophomore, said her energy and optimism have had a positive effect on the team since the Bobcats' reverse sweep of UT-Arlington earlier in the season. She said she can contribute even when her attacking is off.
Texas State was picked to finish third in the nine-team Pac-12. Colorado State was polled as the favorite and made the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after a run of postseason appearances from 2000-19, while Washington State's NCAA streak lasted nearly a decade before ending in 2023.
The school has stated it aims to compete for conference championships across its sports rather than simply participate in the Pac-12. Thursday's sweep of Utah State was the first step toward those goals in the new league.
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