Central Arkansas rallied from two sets to one down to stay undefeated in Southland Conference volleyball with a five set victory over Sam Houston Saturday afternoon at the Prince Center in Conway.

The Bears upped their league record to 9-0 and their season mark to 14-7 with a 23-25 26-24 21-25 26-24 15-11 victory over the Kats. Sam Houston fell to 12-8 for the year and 5-2 in the Southland.

Deveney Wells-Gibson led the SHSU women with 24 kills. Setter Michelle Griffith added eight kills and Jordyn Vaughn and Carling Urban each totaled seven. Evie Singleton and Heather Schnars led UCA with 22 and 19 kills, respectively.

The match was a battle from the start. With the teams tied at 23-23, Wells-Gibson and Vaughn connected on back-to-back kills for the winning points in the first set.

Sam Houston held a 22-20 lead in the second set but Central Arkansas won six of the next eight points to tie the match at a set apiece.

The Bearkats jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the third and held off several Bear rallies. With a one point 22-21 lead, the Kats won three consecutive points to go up two sets to one.

Up 22-20 in the fourth, Sam Houston appeared close to going home with the win, but again the Bears fought back to win six of the next eight points and force a fifth and deciding set.

The teams traded early leads, Sam Houston's last coming at 6-5. But the Bears stiffened once again to finish with a 10-5 run for the win.

Sam Houston's Claire Kilpatrick led the Bearkat defense with 22 digs.