Seniors leave legacy for SHSU volleyball
11/2/2011 5:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Sam Houston volleyball team hosts UTSA Thursday at 7 p.m. and A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday at 2 p.m. in a pair of important matches.
Before Saturday's contest, Bearkat fans will show their appreciation Kim Black, Carli Kolbe, Kym Loving and Courtney Laskowski in a special senior day ceremony.
"This is a great group of seniors," Sam Houston head coach Brenda Gray said. "The past few years I've enjoyed working with this group as much as any I've ever coached."
The seniors have responded. Three have etched their names into the Sam Houston State school record book and the fourth has proven to be a valuable contributor behind the scenes as well as on the floor.
Kolbe, a kinesiology major from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, currently ranks in the top 20 in four statistics categories in Bearkat career records.
The outside hitter stands No. 2 in career attempts (4,553), ninth in career kills (1,461), 12th in career digs (1,188) and 18th in career blocks. Before the season is out, Kolbe has the opportunity to be one of only seven Bearkats to total more than 1,500 digs.
Kolbe is a two-time first team All-Southland Conference selection. She has won Southland "Offensive Player of the Week" honors three times during her career. This season she leads the league in total kills (292) and stands No. 10 in digs (247). She was a Southland Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll selection in 2010 as well.
"Carli is one of the most complete players we've had here at Sam Houston," Gray said. "She is a fierce competitor who keeps her game at a high level and raises the level of her teammates."
Black, an accounting major from Huntsville, has been the Bearkats number two scorer this season with 293 points including 217 kills. She ranks sixth in Sam Houston annals in career blocks (335) and stands No. 2 in the league in total blocks this season (97).
Black was a All-Southland honorable mention selection as a junior in 2010 and is a top candidate for all-league honors this season. The middle blocker is a two-time Southland "Defensive Player of the Week" honoree including one such honor this season after the Bearkats started league play with three consecutive victories.
"Kim has developed over the years into one of the top blockers in the Southland Conference," Gray said. "One of her great assets is that she wants to beat everyone and everything. She is a true competitor and a team player who wants the best for this program."
Loving, who earned her finance degree last December and now is in graduate school, enters this weekend's action ranked No. 5 in Sam Houston career assists. In 128 matches as the Bearkats' setter, she has totaled 105 service aces and 887 digs.
The Houston native currently ranks No. 3 in the Southland Conference is assists (837) and No. 5 in the league in service aces (29).
"As a fifth-year senior, Kym knows what it takes to be successful in the Southland Conference," Gray said. "She has evolved into a true leader on and off the floor."
Laskowski, a mass communications major from Poth, has played in 85 matches and 229 sets for the Bearkats the past four years. She has totaled 324 career digs.
"Courtney is one of those players who always puts the team first," Gray said. "She provides lots of energy on the floor."
All four seniors are successful off the floor as well as on.
Kolbe and Loving both are team representatives for the Sam Houston State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee that is involved with numerous community efforts in the Huntsville area.
Black, Loving and Laskowski also have earned academic honors as members of the Southland Conference Commissioners Academic Honor Roll.
The Bearkats enter this weekend's competition with a 13-12 overall season mark and a 7-5 record in Southland Conference action. The team will be looking to even the score with both opponents after road losses at both UTSA and A&M-Corpus Christi earlier this season.
Tickets for both volleyball contests are available online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
