01-24-2023

In preparation for next semester, oncampus housing limited to freshmen

By Blake Leschber News Reporter

On Dec. 12, the Department of Housing and Residential Life (DHRL) sent an email to students stating that with another expected rise in freshman enrollment for fall 2023, there will be not enough space for anyone else in the dorms. This means that all non-freshman students will need to find off-campus housing.

“We anticipate the demand for first-year student housing will fill all available housing assignments,” Bill Mattera, executive director of Housing and Residential Life, said. “So we notified returning students as soon as possible that our demand would likely exceed the ability to offer them spaces.”

Mattera said that the decision is based on the current number of applications, demand and capacity which does not support non-freshmen being able to live oncampus next year.

“We make our decisions based on applications, anticipated demand and available bed capacity,” Mattera said. “As we work with our university partners in admissions, it is clear that the beds currently held by returning students will be needed to accommodate the first-year class anticipated for fall 2023.”

AGRICULTURE

Texas State Freeman Ranch welcomes new cattle donation, Willy Wonka

By Haley Velasco Assistant Life and Arts Editor

With the determination for student success, Willy Wonka, a Santa Gertrudis cattle breed, was donated to Texas State's Freeman Ranch in hopes of boosting opportunities for students and gaining a step in the right direction to making

As owners of the Buena Vida Cattle Company, a cattle company that raises Santa Gertrudis cattle, Kevin and Heather Blewett donated Willy Wonka so Texas State’s Department of Agricultural Sciences can begin breeding about 40 Santa Gertrudis purebreds.

The Blewett's also donated $523,000 to Texas State in October during Step Up For State to support agricultural science research, leading to the Blewett Agricultural Research Project. The funds were distributed throughout the department and Willy Wonka was the next big donation to further Heather Blewetts passion for helping students succeed is displayed in the

“We wanted to help out Texas State and the students,” Heather Blewett said. “[Texas State has] got a great program — the agricultural program. I've employed several Texas State students over the years and wanted the [agriculture] department to have hands-on experience with the cattle. This benefits Texas State and it benefits the breed as well.”

Willy Wonka is a Santa Gertrudis cattle breed, a native Texan beef cattle that originated in the early 1900s at King Ranch and is known for withstanding Texas heat due to being drought and insect resistant.

Volleyball season ends in bitter-sweet fashion

By Kobe Arriaga Sports Reporter

The Texas State volleyball squad put together another strong season in the 2022 campaign, finishing with a 14-2 record in the Sun Belt Conference and 24-7 overall.

The successful regular season record for Texas State resulted in the top spot in the West Division and set the Bobcats up for a deep run in the conference tournament.

Texas State was on a six-game winning streak heading into the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament and managed to pick up two crucial victories against Louisiana and South Alabama to propel the Bobcats to their sixth-straight conference championship appearance.

It was a bittersweet ending to the 2022 season for Texas State, though, as the Bobcats ultimately fell short in the championship game against the top seed in the Sun Belt Conference, James Madison University.

Texas State Volleyball celebrates after scoring a point during a match against James Madison University, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats tied the weekend series 1-1.

STAR FILE PHOTO

Willy Wonka stops to look around while being fed, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at Freeman Ranch in San Marcos. Willy is a Santa Gertrudis cattle that was donated to Texas State's Department of Agricultural Sciences for research.

Texas State Hilltop Housing Complex construction, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING

Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Arthur Fairchild stareditor@txstate.edu

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PIR Director Elle Gangi starpr@txstate.edu

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Director: Laura Krantz laurakrantz@txstate.edu

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FROM FRONT HOUSING

This notification raised concerns in students who may not be able to afford to pay for off-campus living next semester.

“I was upset because [...] considering my financial situation, I don't think I'll be able to have an apartment, so where am I going to live?" Khyna De Ungria, a dance freshman, said.

In the past, the university used a lottery system to give returning students a chance to live on campus again. According to Mattera, the lottery system will not be in effect this spring since the inventory is not there.

The lack of inventory is what caused students to live with more people than they anticipated and what placed students in hotels last semester. De Ungria wishes there was an enrollment cutoff so that there would be spots for upperclassmen who rely on financial aid.

"They could have had a set number of people that they accept so that they don't have to go over on housing," De Ungria said. "Some people struggle financially and, at least for me, need financial aid which may not be enough to cover the apartment."

There is hope for the future with the possibility of returning students being able to live on campus again with the construction of the Hilltop Housing Complex, which is anticipated to open in the fall of 2024.

“Our hope is that when the Hilltop residence halls open in fall 2024 we will be able to offer our on-campus inventory to returning students again,” Mattera said.

As it gets closer to the fall semester, off-campus apartment complexes raise their rates meaning the earlier someone signs a lease, the more likely they are to get a spot with a cheaper rate.

“I saw the prices of multiple apartments go up and up within weeks," Greg Ordonez, a communications junior, said. "I was shocked to see

how some apartments are already near capacity for next year.”

Mattera said the email was sent out in December to give returning students all of the spring semester to look for off-campus housing if they have not already.

“Traditionally, properties located closer to campus fill up faster than those a bit farther away. As students prioritize what’s important to them, availability will always be better the sooner they can start looking," Mattera said.

Apartment hunting is not easy for every student to accomplish. For some, it was difficult to find a place to start and others are venturing into the experience for the very first time.

“To be honest, as an 18-yearold not knowing how to go about apartment hunting, I did the best I could,” Ordonez said. “By researching what I can on the internet and getting opinions from upperclassmen and word of mouth.”

Students feared that there would not be enough time to find a decent apartment.

“I was a bit worried because I kept hearing that apartments were filling up and that I’d not find one that I

like,” Dylan Hindberg, an accounting freshman, said. “But eventually it worked out and I found one.”

To combat this, DHRL offers offcampus living assistance for students who have questions or are struggling with off-campus living.

“The Off-Campus Living Unit within our department is a great resource for students who are looking for assistance in finding housing,” Mattera said. “We host an off-campus housing marketplace where students can shop complexes and utilize a budget calculator to make good decisions for themselves financially."

The Off-Campus Living Expo is on Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the LBJ Grand Ballroom. The event will connect students to off-campus apartments and allow them to figure out which apartment is right for them.

The Texas State Attorney for Students located on the fifth floor of the LBJ Student Center provides guidance on apartment hunting and renting laws.

ILLUSTRATION BY AFAAF ALNAHAS

Willy Wonka is a new resident at the Freeman Ranch, 3,485 acres of land owned by Texas State for research in anthropology, agricultural and environmental sciences. The livestock at Freeman Ranch consists of cow-calf cattle including the Brangus-Gelbvieh cross and is shifting to an AngusHereford cross. The ranch is home to nine Syfan-Spanish nannies and one Boer goat.

With Willy Wonka, the Department of Agricultural Sciences can begin its project of breeding purebred Santa Gertrudis cattle.

Since Santa Gertrudis cattle are drought resistant, fewer resources are required for the animal husbandry of the cattle compared to other beef cattle. Shreek Mandayam, the chief research officer for Texas State, believes that growing more purebred Santa Gertrudis cattle will bring about a beneficial environmental change.

“We want to know what will happen to the off-spring,” Mandayam said. "Will they be drought resistant? Will they be tolerant of less water? Will they cost less? Will they use less resources because animal husbandry is very resource intensive? So can we have a better environmental impact by creating Santa Gertrudis beef cattle instead of the other beef cattle that is out there? It’s really quite transformative and very much in the spirit of what Texas State does. We want to be really good stewards of our environment.”

The Buena Vida Cattle Company started in 2015 and is based in Kingsbury, Texas. It was founded because of Heather Blewetts lifelong dedication to raising cattle and competing in livestock shows.

COMMUNITY

The company has since participated in livestock shows in Texas and won awards such as the 2021 National Junior Santa Gertrudis and Calf of the 2019 National Champion.

To further its success, the Blewett Agricultural Research Project will utilize the animals in teaching in laboratory settings along with providing more funding across the agriculture department at Texas State. Brian Bruner, a lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Sciences and the overseer of the Blewett Agricultural Research Project, believes that the Blewetts' dedication to helping students will lead the department to success.

“We had a meeting on campus with the Blewetts and several administrators and they gave their pitch for what they were interested in supporting and to be honest what I heard was ‘students, students, students,’” Bruner said. “We’re just really thankful that the Blewetts reached out to us, and we’re excited for the opportunity. We want to achieve their goals of ‘students, students, students,’ in the Department of Agriculture.”

Willy Wonka will also benefit Texas State’s goal of an R1 Carnegie classification, according to Mandayam. Of the around 4,000 higher education institutions in the U.S., about 140 universities are categorized as R1, meaning they have high research activity. Currently, Texas State is an R2 institution. The addition of Willy Wonka presents opportunities for more external funding for research.

“Engaging in cutting-edge research like this, like bringing back a genetic breed into the animal husbandry ecosystem will be a huge advancement

in research when we get this done and it becomes a success,” Mandayam said. “It brings in external research dollars to the university. We are creating new knowledge that we are making sure it gets to the

consumer, and we are very much including students in this research. So, it has everything we need to do for R1 and student success.”

With the help of the Blewetts and Willy Wonka, Texas State will be able to build new pathways for opportunities and experiences.

“The more attention that you all can bring to the breed and to the agriculture department, along with what Texas State is doing is pretty awesome,” Heather said. “The only way is to go up from

now.”

To keep up with Willy Wonka, go to https://www.appliedarts.txst.edu/news/ willy-wonka.html. To learn more about the Buena Vida Cattle Company, go to https://www.buenavidacattle.com/.

Half-marathon to bring cheers and community to San Marcos

By

Scallywompus, the organization behind one of the oldest half-marathons in Central Texas, will host the San Marcos Half Marathon on Feb. 5 at the Tanger Outlets.

Bart Childers, the Scallywompus race director, started the organization in 2009 to help people out with other races. In 2011 he started the Alamo Beer Series, a set of four races that lasts from August to November, that leads up to the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Antonio. It was then that Childers saw the crowds his races were attracting.

"Now it's turned into that little small business you can't get rid of," Childers said. "It's too big just to dump it, and it's too small to do a whole lot with it."

The San Marcos Half Marathon was originally called Moe's Better Half Marathon for over 30 years until Moe Johnson, the previous race director, passed the torch to Scallywompus in the late 2010s. The half marathon follows the River Road Run on Jan. 7 in Comfort, Texas, as part of the Texas Hill Country Series, which consists of four races from January to April.

The Texas Hill Country Series came about when Childers was brainstorming ideas for races outside of San Antonio. According to him, adding a second race series would halt competitors from taking over their space and keep Scallywompus runners active year-round. They decided to keep the races within central Texas.

Each race has a marked route on the website full of mostly flat terrain, with some uphill and downhill areas. There is an unofficial cutoff time of four hours, but Scallywompus waits for the last runner before ending the race. The San Marcos Half Marathon will start with the 13.1 race, followed by the 10K race at 8:15 a.m. and the 5K race at 8:35 a.m.

Lynette Gray, a co-owner of Best Waste Inc. in Seguin, Texas, has participated in the event since 2018 as a power walker and race walker. Best Waste Inc. has sponsored the half-marathon as a bib sponsor since 2020 and as a director for other races, such as Paws for a Cause in Floresville in 2022. The experience, in turn, has helped her reach out to potential customers of her business.

"They got very excited [when I added my name to the race] because not a lot of runners have that connection, but I had that connection to be a sponsor and participate with them," Gray said.

The San Marcos Half Marathon has also attracted people from outside the local area like Bob Marabella, a retired real estate broker from out of state.

Marabella has participated in races around San Antonio, but he said Scallywompus is different. Although he said he cannot run the distances he used to, he still shows up to half marathons to hand out packets to runners and run the shorter distance races. The race series has helped him explore more of Texas and appreciate the community.

"Having lived in Utah for 19 years and being an avid runner there, there never was a sense of community like there is here," Marabella said. "I told my wife ... 'in three years, I've met and have more friends here in the running community than I ever had in Utah.'"

Family members and volunteers are also encouraged to participate if they don't want to only watch the runners. Throughout the event, Scallywompus offers volunteer work for those wishing to help out, including assisting runners with packet pickup, handing out refreshments and ensuring runner safety.

"Volunteering is pretty easy, too," Gray said. "It doesn't involve a lot of manual labor or whiskey or anything. It's kind of encouraging people and that kind of thing."

All runners receive a medal unique to each race when they finish. Awards are given out to those who come in first to fourth place for all distances based on age categories.

After the awards ceremony, an optional afterparty will take place. Attendees can choose to bring out lawn chairs and relax, check out the vendors' products or participate in a dance contest. Food and drinks such as Kiolbassa sausage and "Scallyjuice," a mixture of fruit juice and the local distillery's vodka, are provided by Scallywompus and other donors.

Several running communities participating in the event use this time to meet up with one another and enjoy the atmosphere.

"Many of us run the same races each week and we run into each other, and so that makes it, you know, fun," Marabella said. "It's kind of our one time a week or every other week that we run into a running community and interact that way."

It's also these communities helping Scallywompus get around to newer people. Maiya Huffman, a political sales specialist for a pharmaceutical company, came across it when a friend in her running group introduced it to her. She signed up for the 2021 Battle of Bankersmith race of the Alamo Beer Series not knowing what to expect, but the experience stood out to her.

"I realized you could sometimes do these races, and you get lost in the shuffle, but Scallywompus is a much more personal kind of organization of runners and very, you know, just all different levels can run it," Huffman said. "Nobody has to feel like they're getting left behind."

Childers wants to convince people to attend for the experience that a Scallywompus race gives its community. He believes the people, refreshments and music will draw them in even if they're waiting for it to end.

"We have an emcee who's telling them all kinds of stuff, and they've kind of forgotten about all their troubles," Childers said. "Our goal is for them to kind of go, 'that was an experience; that was kind of cool,' and they don't really understand how."

To learn more about the San Marcos Half Marathon and other Scallywompus races, visit http://www.scallywompus.com/.

Willy Wonka stops to look around while being fed, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at Freeman Ranch in San Marcos. Willy is a Santa Gertrudis cattle that was donated to Texas State's Department of Agriculture Sciences for research.

PHOTO BY JOHN GAMEZ

Bart Childers (left) and Anthony Vigil (right) celebrate a successful event, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, at the 2022 Scallywompus San Marcos Half Marathon at the Tanger Outlets.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCALLYWOMPUS

Runners participate in a dance contest during the afterparty, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, at the 2022 Scallywompus San Marcos Half Marathon at the Tanger Outlets.

PHOTO COURESY OF SCALLYWOMPUS

Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Contributor

Students shouldn't fail over attendance EDUCATION

By David Cuevas Opinions Contributor

College allows students to learn the essence of responsibility by teaching them how to manage their time while dealing with busy schedules wisely.

Professors shouldn't dictate how students manage their time and daily schedules by forcing them to attend class with threats of a lowered or failing grade.

Unlike in primary and secondary education across the U.S., where daily attendance is mandatory by state law, colleges set their regulations and policies regarding attendance, which vary as a result.

At Texas State, when it comes to class attendance, the university claims its policy is to require regular attendance in all classes but recognizes that policies will differ among classes.

While Texas State does not make attendance mandatory, it allows its professors to require it for their classes if they choose to do so. Several Texas State professors enforce mandatory attendance and factor it into students' overall grades, validating it as a participation grade when it is nothing more than a scare tactic to ensure the classroom is at total capacity during their lectures.

Jon Marc Smith, an English and film professor at Texas State, prefers a full classroom during his lectures because of the interactions with students.

"The way that I teach is I want students to ask questions and make comments, and the more people that are in class, the more questions and comments you have," Smith said.

Forcing students to attend classes means they may physically show up, but it doesn't mean they will mentally show up.

Students who do not want to be in class but attend anyway, out of fear of receiving a failing grade, are more likely to be on their phones or laptops during the entire lecture instead of paying attention to it. So requiring students

to attend class doesn't require them to learn anything from the lecture.

Data from a research study conducted at Saint Louis University found that students who only listen to the first 15 minutes of a lecture only retained approximately 41% of the material. Students who attended for 30 minutes had 25%.

A mandatory attendance policy prioritizes students' presence in the classroom over their desire to learn and engage with the lecture material.

Students who genuinely want to be in a class to learn the material will be in attendance, while the ones who don't will not. This is why professors should allow students to decide what they feel is best for themselves instead of deducting points or failing them.

Another area for improvement with mandatory attendance is that it penalizes students who can achieve passing grades without going to class. Not all students

ILLUSTRATION BY EVA BOWLER

learn and process information the same way.

Students may need to attend every class to understand the course material completely. In contrast, others may be able to understand it even if they miss some or the majority of courses throughout the semester.

Sometimes students need help retaining the information being taught due to professors' teaching style and feel they can learn the course material on their own time without having to go to class.

Still, mandatory attendance policies force all students to attend every class, even if students can get a passing grade without attending regularly.

In a USA Today article, college students spoke about why they choose to attend or skip classes. Reasons for not attending class included believing the lecture will be counterproductive or that the material can be learned by simply

reading the textbook.

Students also have other obligations in their lives, most commonly work, which is particularly true for students who come from low-income households. According to a CNBC article, 59% of low-income students work 15 hours or more.

An article in a series titled "My College Dream" by CNBC highlights how some professors are unsympathetic to students having to miss class to work a high number of hours to make ends meet and, as a result, have their grades negatively impacted.

Professors should encourage students to attend every or as many classes as possible as it will significantly increase their chances of receiving a better grade but should go no further than that and allow students to make the decision themselves.

According to Economics-finance. org, a student who missed class was 9% to 14% more likely to answer a question on a test incorrectly.

Universities, professors and anyone else in favor of mandatory attendance in college will argue that students should attend every class since they and their families are shelling out thousands of dollars for them.

However, universities receive the money regardless of students' attendance and if they pass or fail their classes. Therefore, tuition is owed for students to have the opportunity to attend class, but there is no rule denying students the option to skip class. Since universities receive the money no matter what a student chooses, it should be acceptable to them if they decide to attend class regularly or not.

- David Cuevas is a journalism junior

The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinions Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.

University TikTok ban threatens free speech

By Editorial Board

On Dec. 7, Gov. Greg Abbott banned the social media platform TikTok from government devices, which has led to publicly funded Texas schools blocking the use while on school Wi-Fi. At Texas State, TikTok has been blocked on all networks and banned from the download or use on Texas State-managed devices, according to the Division of Information Technology.

This censorship has consequences.

Texas State isn't the only school to have banned TikTok. Most major Texas colleges and schools across the United States have banned TikTok out of concern for data privacy.

Opportunities to learn and keep up to date with events and spread-word have been halted.

The U.S. government banned the app on federal, government-issued devices in December also due to data privacy concerns. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and security concerns exist over whether the Chinese government will use TikTok to access stored data belonging to American consumers.

Formerly known as Musical.ly, TikTok gained popularity in January 2018 when it ranked first in free application downloads on app stores worldwide. As of January 2023, TikTok has over a billion monthly active users worldwide, including 138 million active

monthly users in the U.S. In addition, 60% of users in the U.S. are between the ages of 16-24, which directly impacts high school and college students who use the application on school-issued government devices or school Wi-Fi.

For the editorial board at The University Star, TikTok significantly contributes to our consumption of up-to-date trends and news. It doesn't matter if a TikTok is thirty seconds or three minutes — protecting access to news in a form that is easily digestible and readily available is a significant part of keeping communities informed and educated.

Some students may not see it as a direct issue because they can turn off the campus Wi-Fi. Still, some educators who use TikTok to supplement lessons no longer have easy access. TikTok has even become an integral part to class syllabuses in some of the courses we, the editorial board, take as mass communication students. We track social media trends and even create our own TikTok videos for class assignments. Taking away TikTok is taking away a window of knowledge.

While classrooms might not immediately feel the effect of the TikTok ban, it sets a risky precedent for the future. Students use TikTok as a news source, whether it be political, pop culture or local they have a right to the app as a news source. News outlets such as The Washington Post NowThis News and ABC News have large followings on the app. Presenting news to

consumers as they scroll creates opportunity to educate and inform a wider audience.

TikTok has become a news outlet for students. If the university is comfortable censoring how we access the news, it allows them to censor other outlets in the future.

The TikTok algorithm works to bring relevant and interesting content to each user to their For You pages. There is a "side" of TikTok for everyone. There is a plethora of information and entertainment on TikTok that is geared toward us, the students. The censorship of this content is only to our detriment.

There are alternatives to this kind of media, YouTube and Instagram; there are YouTube shorts and Instagram reels. But they are currently reaching a different audience than TikTok does.

As of Dec. 12, all Texas State-affiliated accounts are being identified via a Google Form. Questions about the apps on campus prohibition can be directed to the I.T. Assistance Center.

Leaving the status of The University Star's account unclear as it was a way of informing and entertaining the public; without it, the freedoms of speech and expression are in jeopardy.

The University Star will continue to upload news and events to its TikTok account.w

Opinions in The University Star are not necessarily those of our entire publication, Texas State University’s administration, Board of Regents, School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Student Publications Board.

The Main Point is an opinion written collectively by The University Star's Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication.

STAR SNAPS

Texas State nursing sophomore Corra Lavinder flips through a poster book, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, in the LBJ Ballroom. The Student Association for Campus Activities (SACA) hosts a poster sale every semester.

PHOTO BY JOHN GAMEZ

Texas State Assistant President for First Year Engagement Christopher Lang (left) tells students about the Student Involvement organization, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at the LBJ Mall.

PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING

Texas State junior forward Nate Martin (11) goes for a jump shot while Marshall Thundering Herd freshman center Micah Handlogten (5) tries to block, Thursday, Jan 19, 2023, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats lost 81-73.

PHOTO BY JOHN GAMEZ

Texas State theatre performance and production senior Ali Gutierrez (right) poses for Bobcats Back to class and first day of semester photos, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at the LBJ Mall.

PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING

Coach Antoine becomes winningest coach in program history

By Carson Weaver Sports Editor

A 64-48 win for the Texas State women’s basketball team against Georgia State on Jan. 12 was more than just a move upward in the standings for the Bobcats. Head coach Zenarae Antoine also became the winningest head coach in the program’s history, getting her 175th win.

After the Bobcat’s victory against Appalachian State on Jan. 5, Antoine knew the record was in sight but wanted her team to keep focus on its remaining schedule.

“I think, once this season is over, I'll have time to be able to reflect on this. But I'm humbled, like I said. I love being a Bobcat,” Antoine said in a post-game press conference.

Antoine played collegiate basketball at Colorado State from 1994-1998 and began her coaching career at Ohio University as a graduate assistant. Antoine made four different stops as an assistant coach at different universities until 2011, where she was hired as head coach of the Bobcats.

After 12 years with Texas State, Antoine has found a home in San Marcos.

“I want to be here. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to win, this is where I want to raise my family,” Antoine said in a post-game press conference. “Being a Bobcat is much deeper than what people see here… it’s a wonderful place to coach, it’s a great place to go to school and get an education… I’m very blessed and very humble to have that title right now.”

Kennedy Taylor, a graduate student guard and the program’s career leader in assists, said that the team’s goal is still to bring home a conference championship.

“It's amazing to be able to be a part of a senior class that helped with this accomplishment,” Taylor said in a post-game press conference. “We are all just so happy for coach Z today, but we are trying to give her a [conference] championship.”

Antoine surpassed former head coach Suzanne Fox, who served as an ESPN+ analyst on the sidelines watching the action. After the game, Antoine said that Fox has been a good resource throughout her tenure.

“She was very kind in her words about being able to pass the baton,” Antoine said in a post-game press conference. “She’s always been a really good champion for Texas State.”

The Bobcats, since the history-making win, have won two games and lost one, with its most recent game coming as a loss against South Alabama in the final seconds of the match.

Graduate center Jaeda Reed said that Antoine's game plan of attacking the glass on defense and holding each other accountable on rebounds led to the team's recent victories.

"Our main focus was on the defensive end," Reed said. "Those two things definitely helped us pick up these two wins this week."

Texas State women's basketball (13-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) ranks fifth in the Sun Belt Conference, but is still in playoff contention and within reach of the first place James Madison Dukes (17-3, 7-1 Sun Belt).

Head coach Sean Huiet still believes that the team had a successful year, regardless of how things unfolded in the end.

“It's hard not to just think about the ending, and it wasn’t the ending that we had hoped for, but when you sit down you have some time to reflect, and some of the things that we did as a team,” Huiet said. “It was a successful year. I think when you win your division for the sixth year in a row, and you’re playing in the championship match for the sixth year in a row, it's hard to be upset with how the season unfolded.”

Huiet believes the team should have been invited to the NCAA tournament considering their dominant season.

“It's hard to say that it wasn’t a fun and successful year, but it’s still bitter for us to think about the ending, and it was kind of a shocker there by the NCAA Committee to not get into the NCAA tournament, but that’s life,” Huiet said. "That’s what we can’t forget at the end. That’s its life and sometimes life is unfair, we’ve just got to learn from it and move on."

Junior setter Ryann Torres also believes that the season ended in a bittersweet feeling, but expressed her appreciation for the hard work and dedication that was presented from the entire team.

“We had a lot of success in different areas, and having small successes throughout the entire season

just prepared us for tough situations that we overcame, and it was a really strong team,” Torres said. “We’ve been with each other for almost a straight five years.”

The 2022 Texas State roster featured one of the largest and most experienced rosters in the Sun Belt which included two All-American athletes: graduate outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald and graduate setter Emily DeWalt.

Last season also saw these athletes make their mark in Bobcat history, with Fitzgerald breaking the all-time kills record and DeWalt breaking the career assist record.

DeWalt and Fitzgerald posted historical careers at Texas State playing alongside each other for such a long time. As they close out their collegiate careers, they cement their legacy in Bobcat history.

"I think this just puts an exclamation mark on all of their awards. It's really nice to say, for the first time in school history, we have two All-Americans in the same season,” Huiet said. “It's a testament to not only their level of play but to their teammates who helped them be so successful.”

Looking forward, Texas State will have to overcome the obstacle of trying to remain competitive after losing more than half of the team's experience in graduating seniors. Sophomore defensive specialist Jacqueline Lee said the feeling of having to deal

with players leaving will be used as motivation. She is ready to take on the responsibility of stepping into a bigger role next year.

“We’ve been used to being such a winning program and being successful, but now we’ve lost half the girls that won the last three championships for us,” Lee said. “So I think it’s everybody wanting to prove the doubters wrong. I think there’s going to be a fire lit under us to prove everybody wrong and continue being competitive.”

Huiet believes that Texas State

volleyball's winning history is going to put a target on the team's back headed into next year.

“People think that because we lost so many people and we lost a big senior class that we’re not going to be as good, and that’s not the case,” Huiet said. “We have kids that are motivated, and they know what it takes. They saw how good we were this year and that we still fell short of our goal, so they know the work that’s needed to get there.”

FROM FRONT SPORTS RECAP

Texas State sophomore defensive specialist Jacqueline Lee (7) celebrates with teammates during a match against James Madison University, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats tied the weekend series 1-1. STAR FILE PHOTO

It's life and sometimes life is unfair, we’ve just got to learn from it and move on."

SEAN

Hired in 2011 and led the team to a 1714 record after the team went 9-20 the previous year.

Led the Bobcats to their first women’s basketball invitational since the 2007-08 season.

the Bobcats to a 23-10 record, the most victories in a single season in program history.

Became the winning coach in program history, getting her 175th win in a victory against Georgia State.

TIMELINE BY SARAH MANNING AND ALLISON MENDOZA

Texas State volleyball head coach Sean Huiet goes to hug senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott (3) during Senior Day, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, at Strahan Arena.

STAR FILE PHOTO