HUNTSVILLE ? Led by Anna Ferguson with 16 kills, Sam Houston State defeated Texas-Arlington in three sets, only the third time in 12 victories this season the Bearkats have won a volleyball match in three sets.

Sam Houston won 25-19 25-19 25-19 to up their season record to 12-16 for the year and 7-5 in Southland Conference volleyball action. The Mavericks fell to 6-21 for the season and 2-11 in league play. The Kats dispatched UTA in an hour and 17 minutes.

The Bearkats jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set as they built a 19-10 lead. UTA cut the margin to 20-16 but Sam Houston closed out the set by winning five of the next eight points.

The second set was the closest of the night with three ties and two lead changes, but Sam Houston fought from 7-3 behind to take a 10-9 lead and never trailed again.

After UTA won the first point of the third set, the Bearkats went on a 7-2 run to go up 7-3. The closest the Mavericks could come the rest of the way was two points at 9-7.

“It's nice to win one in three sets and it's nice to be home,” SHSU head coach Brenda Gray said. The Bearkats have played their last four matches on the road. “The team is playing better now. This was a total team effort.”

Carli Kolbi and Haley Thomas also produced double-figure kills, Kolbi with 11 and Thomas with 10. The Bearkat front line blocked eight UTA shots.

The contest marked only the eighth three-set match in Sam Houston's 28 contests this season. Sam Houston is now 3-5 in three set matches this year. The Kats have gone four sets 13 times and five sets seven times.

Sam Houston will play host to Texas State-San Marcos Saturday at 4 p.m. The Bobcats are in first place in the Southland West and sport the best record in the league at 10-1 in SLC action.