HUNTSVILLE - Led by Carli Kolbe with a career high 28 kills, Sam Houston State knocked off preseason Southland Conference favorite and Southland West Division leader in five sets Thursday at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats won 14-25 32-30 25-21 24-26 16-14 to even their season record at 10-10. Texas State fell to 8-10 for the year. Both teams are 2-1 in Southland action.
Anna Ferguson added 13 kills and Camille Alfaro totaled 12 for Sam Houston. Melinda Cave led the Bobcats with 19 kills and A. J. Watlington scored 13.
Few in Johnson Coliseum thought the match would turn into the battle it did when Texas State won 19 of the first 24 points of the match and earned the first set with a 25-14 decision.
"After that first set, we could have folded our tent but, wow, the girls fought back," SHSU head coach Brenda Gray said. "This was just a great match and a great victory for the team. Sometimes, you can be so excited about a match that nothing goes right early. But they regrouped and realized, if we just take things one step at a time and get within ourselves, we could win and we did."
Sam Houston battled back in a second set that was tied 13 times with five lead changes. At 24-19 in the second set, the Bobcats fought off seven set points. But, at 30-30, back-to-back attack errors put the Bearkats back in the match.
Sam Houston took a 2-1 lead by taking the third set 25-21. The Bearkats led most of the way with Texas State leading only once a 1-0 and tying the set only three times.
But the Bobcats roared back in the fourth set. The frame was tied nine times with five lead changes before Amber Calhoun earned a set point at 25-24 and Jessica Weynand and Melinda Cave blocked an attack by Ferguson.
The fifth and deciding set was just as close with nine ties and four lead changes before the Bearkats finally prevailed.
Sam Houston State returns to action Saturday at 7 p.m. when the Bearkats play host to UT-Arlington. Tickets for Sam Houston volleyball are $5 for adults and $3 for youth.
For ticket information, go to www.gobearkats.com or go by the Sam Houston athletic ticket office in Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m . to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
