For the second time in two days, Sam Houston rallied to take a strong opponent to five sets. But, Saturday afternoon, host University of Houston held off the Bearkats in the SHSU's final match of the Flo Hyman Cup Challenge.

The Cougars won a hard-fought 25-22 25-28 13-25 23-25 16-14 match to up their season record to 6-2. Sam Houston returns to Huntsville with a 6-4 season mark.

Friday, in their first match at the UH tournament, the Bearkats rallied from two sets to one down to defeat Oral Roberts in five. In Friday's nightcap, the SHSU women lost in three to unbeaten Louisiana-Lafayette.

Deveney Wells-Gibson led the Bearkats with 22 kills. Brooke White and Carling Urben each added 12 kills.

Setter Michelle Griffith assisted on 51 of Sam Houston's 71 kills. Breana Homer and Wells-Gibson led the Kat defense with dig totals of 26 and 18, respectively. Libero Claire Kilpatrick totaled 12 digs.

Sam Houston fought hard in each set. Behind most of the first stanza, the Kats fought back to tie 21-21 before the Cougars won four of the last five points for the set victory.

Houston never trailed in the second set but the Cougars effort to end the match after three failed. Sam Houston turned on the heat early and raced to a 12-point third set victory.

The fourth set was a nail-biter with 11 ties before Sam Houston jumped ahead 22-19 and held on for a two-point win to force a fifth and deciding set.

The Cougars jumped out to an 11-7 lead in the fifth, but the SHSU women rallied to build leads of 13-11 and 14-13. But Houston won the next three points to earn the match victory.

Sam Houston completes its non-conference road schedule next weekend at the TCU Horned Frog Classic in Fort Worth. The Bearkats opponent Southland Conference play on Sept. 27 at Lamar.

The next home match for Sam Houston is Thursday, Oct. 9 versus Incarnate Word at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.