Deveney Wells-Gibson totaled 19 kills and Brooke White came off the bench to add 12 as Sam Houston defeated Northwestern State in four games in a Southland Conference volleyball match Tuesday night at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats out-pointed the Demons 63-55, totaling 50 kills in a 25-21 25-14 15-25 25-21 victory. Sam Houston now stands 16-9 for the year and 9-3 in Southland action. Northwestern State dropped to 11-15 for the season and 8-5 in the league.
The win upped the SHSU women's home record to a perfect 10-0. Going back to last season, Sam Houston has won their last 12 home matches.
“It's so exciting to be 10-0 at home,” SHSU head coach Brenda Gray said. “We talk about protecting our house from the first practice in two-a-days.”
Aubrey Davis led the Demons with 11 kills. Stacey DiFancesco and Mackenzie Neely each had eight. Northwestern State dropped to 2-9 in road matches this fall. The Bearkats have gone either four or five sets in 16 of their 25 matches.
SHSU setter Michelle Griffith assisted on 44 of Sam Houston's 50 kills. Libero Claire Kilpatrick led the defense with 19 digs while Griffith posted 12 and Wells-Gibson added 14.
Sam Houston led two sets to none but faltered in the third and was forced to go to four by the Demons.
“We played the first and second sets well but took a step back in the third,” Gray said. “That's been our Achilles' heel all year. Northwestern State is a good team and you know they're going to push back.”
Breanna Homer and Jordyn Vaughn served the Kats out to a 9-3 to open the match. But the Demons bounced back for a 15-6 run to go up 18-15 on a pair of kills by Stacey DiFrancesco.
It was Sam Houston's turn for a run as the SHSU women won three straight on Shelby Genung's serve and three more with Griffith serving. A kill by Wells-Gibson ended a 10-3 run for SHSU to earn the first set victory.
The strong serving continue in the second set has Sam Houston ran away with a 17-7 start and coasted to a 25-14 second stanza win with Wells-Gibson again scoring on set point.
After three early ties, Northwestern State breezed to a third set victory. After a 10-10 tie, the Demons ran off 11 straight points to take a 22-11 lead. The visitors closed out the stanza winning three of the final seven points.
The fourth set was tied four times with two lead changes before the Bearkats took control. Up by two, 12-10, Sam Houston finished out the match winning 13 of the final 23 points to nail down the victory.
The Bearkats will close out their home stand with matches Thursday night against Southeastern Louisiana and Saturday afternoon with New Orleans.
