Corpus Christi - Sam Houston played almost error-free volleyball to roll past Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in three sets in the Bearkats' first action in the Islander Classic hosted this weekend by TAMUCC.
The Kats committed only 10 errors in 93 attempts, totaling 36 kills in a 25-20 25-20 25-17 victory. The win was the third in a row for Sam Houston and upped the volleyball team's season record to 5-4. A&M-Corpus Christi falls to 4-5 for the year.
Kaylee Hawkins led Sam Houston with 10 kills in 22 attempts. Carli Kolbe added nine kills and Kim Black posted eight.
The host Islanders started strong, jumping out to a 7-4 lead in opening set. But Sam Houston fought back to tie the set 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9 before winning four straight points on Kym Loving's serve to build a 13-9 lead.
The Islanders got back within a point three times but Sam Houston held them off with Hawkins earning set point on a kill.
With the score tied 7-7 in the second set, the Bearkats took control on Hawkin's turn at the service line, jumping out to a 12-7 lead. TAMUCC cut the margin to 18-17 but Sam Houston rallied to win seven of the next 10 points. Freshman Lauren Bohlen's kill came on set point in the second.
Sam Houston never trailed in the third and deciding set. The Bearkats jumped out to a 7-2 lead. The Islanders cut the margin to three at 15-12 but SHSU ended the match with a 10-5 run.
The Bearkats will play twice on Saturday, taking on Texas Southern and Villanova.
The Islander Classic starts a three-week road swing for Sam Houston State. The Bearkats will play at the Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans on Sept. 17-18 then start Southland Conference action with road matches at Central Arkansas and Northwestern State on Sept. 23 and 25, respectively.
Sam Houston's next match at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on the SHSU campus will be a rematch with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m. Friday Sept. 30. The Kats will return to Corpus Christi in November for their second Southland matchup with the Islanders. Today's competition in the tournament did not count in the Southland league standings.
