TULSA ? Bouncing back from a pair of close losses Friday, the Sam Houston State volleyball racked up a pair of match victories over Jackson State and Austin Peay to complete play in the Tulsa Hurricane Classic Saturday afternoon.
The Bearkats defeated Jackson State 25-21 25-17 25-21 in an hour and 10 minutes Saturday morning. In the afternoon Sam Houston lost the first and fourth sets but toughened up for a five-set victory over Austin Peay by a score of 10-25 25-22 25-23 10-25 15-11.
The victories ended a four-match losing streak for the SHSU volleyball team and upped the squad's season record to 5-8.
Sam Houston State's Anna Ferguson was selected to the All-Tournament team. The senior produced a .283 hitting percentage during the event with 41 kills and 13 errors in 99 attempts. She also added 6 service aces and 4 blocks. Other members of the All-Tournament team were Kelsey Wood, Jennifer Eichler and Julia Kenealy from Tulsa and Stephanie Champine and Jessica Mollman from Austin Peay.
Ferguson and Haley Thomas led Sam Houston in the Austin Peay victory, each with 14 kills. Ferguson posted an impressive .542 hitting percentage for the match with only one error in 24 attempts. Thomas led the Kat front line with six blocks.
Austin Peay and Sam Houston were also equal in kills with APU totaling 51 and the Bearkats 50. Sam Houston's front line posted 10 blocks to Austin Peay's five.
Sarah Hazlewood led the Kats in the Jackson State victory with 10 kills. Kim Black added nine.
On Friday, Ferguson had 12 killes and Hazlewood nine as Sam Houston State lost to Long Island in four close games in the Bearkats' first match of the tournament. Long Island won 25-18 23-25 25-18 25-16. LIU was led by Svetlana Simic who totaled 21 kills. Long Island totaled 55 kills to Sam Houston State's 35.
In the second match of the tournament, host Tulsa defeated the Bearkats 25-13 25-18 25-20. Ferguson and Thomas led Sam Houston, each with seven kills.
The Hurricanes totaled 44 kills while Sam Houston State put away 33.
Sam Houston will complete its intercollegiate tournament schedule next weekend by participating in the Texas-Arlington Classic. Other competitors in the event will be New Mexico, Arkansas-Little Rock, Texas Southern and host UTA.
