UH Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup Up Next
9/11/2014 5:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Sam Houston's 5-2 volleyball squad gets its toughest test of the young 2014 season Friday and Saturday at the Bearkats head south for the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup tournament hosted by the University of Houston.
Each of the four teams in the event enters with a winning record.
The Ragin' Cajuns from Louisiana-Lafayette are unbeaten in seven matches this season. Oral Roberts, a former Southland Conference opponent the past two years, enters 5-3. The host Cougars are 4-2.
The Bearkats started the season by winning the championship of their own tournament two weeks ago, defeating California State-Bakersfield, Mississippi State, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas-Pan American. Sam Houston finished third at the Pioneer Classic in Denver last week.
Senior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson leads the Southland Conference in total kills this year with 112 in five sets, a 4.48 kills per set average.
Freshman Brooke White and sophomore Shelby Genung rank second and third on the squad with 47 and 40 kills, respectively. Genung also leads the team in blocks with 17.
Sophomore Breana Homer, White and Genung all have totaled nine aces. Homer has 94 successful service receptions and 83 digs.
Sophomore setter Michelle Griffith has assisted on 247 of Sam Houston's 307 kills. She has 77 digs to her credit. Libero Claire Kilpatrick leads the team with 147 digs.
Houston already has faced two Southland opponents this year. The Cougars defeated Lamar in three sets two weeks ago on UH's home floor and topped McNeese State in four sets last week in Lake Charles, La.
A freshman, outside hitter Laura Milos, leads the Eagles of ORU. Milos set a new Summit League single match record last week with 38 kills against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Ragin' Cajuns from Lafayette also own a pair of victories over Southland teams, defeating Northwestern State and Nicholls on the way to a tournament championship in Lafayette last week.
Sam Houston will open the tournament Friday with a 1 p.m. match with Oral Roberts followed by a 4 p.m. meeting with the Ragin' Cajuns. The Bearkats will complete play Saturday at 11 a.m. against the host Cougars.
The tournament in Houston is the second of three road events for the Bearkats before Sam Houston starts Southland Conference play. Sam Houston heads to the TCU Molten Invitational Friday and Saturday Sept. 19-20 in Fort Worth.
The Bearkat volleyball team's next home match is Thursday, Oct. 9, against Incarnate Word at 6:30 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
Sam Houston begins Southland action Saturday, Sept. 27 at Lamar at 1 p.m.
