Houston Baptist next for Bearkats
9/5/2011 1:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Sam Houston women's volleyball team travels to face a red-hot Houston Baptist squad in an non-conference match Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at HBU's Sharp Gymnasium.
The Huskies and the Bearkats come into the match with identical 5-2 records. HBU already owns victories over Southland Conference teams UTSA and Lamar.
Sam Houston opened the 2011 seasons with five consecutive victories, the program's best start since 1982. But, the Kats hit a bump in the road Friday at the North Texas Eagle Invitational when two-time All-Southland Conference middle blocker Carli Kolbe went down with an ankle injury.
Kolbe did not play in either of Saturday's matches as Sam Houston lost in four sets to Cincinnati and three tight games to No. 17 Oklahoma.
"I was really proud of the way the team responded to not having Carli on the floor," head coach Brenda Gray said. "They battled toe-to-toe with one of the top 20 teams in the country and we had our chances. Now we face a Houston Baptist team that definitely will be a challenge on their home floor. We hope to get Carli back soon, but we've got some young ladies on the floor right now who are playing well."
While the Oklahoma loss came in straight sets, the Sooners found themselves in a dog fight with the Sam Houston squad. There were four lead changes and 16 ties in the first set which the Sooners won 27-25 and seven ties and four more lead changes in a 25-21 second set.
Senior middle blocker Kim Black stepped up to lead the Bearkats and earned all-tournament honors for the second week in a row. Black totaled 28 kills and 11 blocks in the three matches at Denton.
Kendall Cleveland, a transfer from the University of Arkansas, also has been a force at the net for the Bearkats. She totaled 11 kills in the Oklahoma match and 22 during the tournament.
Sam Houston is in the midst of a 10-match three-week road swing. Following the Houston Baptist match Tuesday, the Kats will play San Francisco, Manhattan and Washington State in the Cougar Challenge tournament in Pullman, Wash., then face North Dakota, Rice and Stephen F. Austin at the Lumberjack Invitational in Nacogdoches.
Next home match for the Bearkats will pit Sam, Houston against defending Southland Conference regular season champion Central Arkansas on Thursday Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum.
Tickets for all home SHSU volleyball matches are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Bearkat athletic ticket office located in the 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.
