Volleyball looks to continue winning streak Thursday
11/11/2010 6:20:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Bearkats already have clinched a berth in the tournament which decides the Southland's representative in the NCAA Division volleyball national tournament. With a 13-16 overall mark and a 7-7 league record and tie-breakers over the two teams vying for the final spot in the event (Nicholls and A&M-Corpus Christi), Sam Houston can be no worse than the No. 7 seed.
But playing host to Lamar (12-13, 8-6) Thursday at 7 p.m. and McNeese State (13-16, 7-7) Saturday at 3 p.m., Sam Houston could climb as high in the tournament seeding as fourth or fifth depending on the outcome of other matches during the final weekend of regular season action.
"Lamar and McNeese both have good teams and will be a challenge for us," Sam Houston head coach Brenda Gray said. "But this is the time of the year you want to be playing well. A pair of victories would give us momentum going into the tournament. Playing in our house, you never know what could happen."
The Bearkat head coach knows her history. In the last 15 Southland Conference post-season tournaments, the No. 1 seed has won the championship only once. Sam Houston was a No. 2 seed when the Kats earned their last trip to the NCAA with a tournament victory in 1996. This year's event will mark the 16th trip to the Southland tournament and their sixth appearance in the event in the last seven years.
Thursday night when Lamar visits, it's "Orange Out" night at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. The
first 200 Sam Houston students wearing orange who enter using their BearkatOne Cards each will receive a free "Orange Out" t-shirt. The t-shirts will be distributed to each recipient following the contest on November 11.
Preseason first team junior Carli Kolbe continues to lead the Sam Houston offense. She has totaled 412 points in 29 plays this year (14.2 per match) including 366 kills, 19 aces and 27 blocks.
Junior Kim Black (196 kills, 125 blocks), sophomore Kelli Stewart (176 kills, 97 blocks) and freshman Haley Neisler (144 kills, 62 blocks) also have played important roles for the Bearkats.
Sophomore Kaylee Hawkins, who has averaged 4.07 digs per match this season as libero, moved back to a middle blocker position in last weekend's important victory at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Junior setter Kym Loving runs the floor for the Kats, averaging 9.25 assists and 1.85 digs per set.
Tickets for Sam Houston volleyball are on sale online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets and at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
