Volleyball Returns Home vs. IWU Thursday
10/8/2014 2:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
After 12 consecutive road matches in 34 days, the Sam Houston volleyball team returns home to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum to begin a three-match home stand Thursday.
The Bearkats play host to Incarnate Word at 6:30 p.m. The team is 4-0 at home this season, opening the season by going unbeaten to win the Sam Houston Invitational the final weekend of August.
Deveney Wells-Gibson, who earned Southland Conference Offensive “Player of the Week” honors for the third time this season Monday, leads the Bearkats offensively. Wells-Gibson leads the league with 281 kills, an average of 4.68 percent.
The senior outside hitter also is a big factor defensively with 170 digs (2.83 per set) in the team's 16 matches.
Also providing firepower for the Kats are Shelby Genung (104 kills), Carling Urben (94 kills) and Brooke White (93 kills). Setter Michelle Griffith has totaled 644 assists this season and helps defensively with 2.69 digs per set.
Libero Claire Kilpatrick (240 digs) and outside hitter Breanna Homer (224 digs) led the SHSU squad in dogs.
Sam Houston stands 9-7 for the year. The Bearkats currently stand in fourth place in the Southland Conference race with a 2-1 mark. Central Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin are the only two unbeaten teams in league play with records of 5-0 and 4-0, respectively.
Northwestern State stands a half-game ahead of the Bearkats with a 3-1 mark.
Sam Houston closed out its road swing winning three of its last four matches. That includes two Southland victories over Nicholls and McNeese last week.
Incarnate Word ranks 10th in the Southland standings. The Cardinals are 5-12 for the year and 1-3 in league action.
Angelique Vidaurri leads UIW with 173 kills this year, an average of 2.88 per set.
The Cardinals' only Southland Conference victory this year came in five sets last weekend in a home match against Abilene Christian. Their non-conference wins were against Texas State, Omaha, Jackson State and Gardner-Webb.
Thursday is $1 concession night at Bearkat volleyball.
The Bearkats continue their home stand Saturday by hosting Abilene Christian for homecoming at 11 a.m. Sam Houston takes on Lamar on Tuesday Oct. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum.
