SHSU rolling up wins in pre-conference play
9/16/2014 8:42:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
With one weekend to go before Southland Conference volleyball action begins, the Sam Houston Bearkats sport a non-league record that shows the team is ready to be a factor again in the 2014 title fight.
With only two returning starters, Sam Houston was picked to finish fourth in this year's race in the 2014 preseason poll voted upon by the league's head coaches. But after three weeks of action, Sam Houston sports a 6-4 record, the second best in the conference.
McNeese State, predicted to finish eighth in the preseason poll, stands 9-3. With a 6-5 mark, Stephen F. Austin is the only other league member with a winning non-conference mark.
Sam Houston's victories include several top teams. The Bearkats defeated California State-Bakersfield (Western Athletic Conference), Mississippi State (Southeastern Conference) and Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt Conference) on the way to a tournament title in their opening weekend.
Last weekend, the Kats rallied from two sets to one down to defeat Oral Roberts of the Summit Conference. A year ago, in ORU's last of two seasons in the Southland, the Eagles defeated the Bearkats in straight sets. The pair tied for third place in last year's league race.
Sam Houston boasts the Southland's second-most productive offense, totaling 466 kills in 38 sets for a 12.26 kills per set average.
Bearkat senior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson leads the Southland in kills with 163 (4.29 per set).
Setter Michelle Griffith ranks fourth in the league in assists with 370 in 38 sets for a 9.74 average. Middle blocker Breana Homer stands ninth in the league in digs with 3.70 per set.
Two-time defending regular-season and conference tournament champion Central Arkansas was the team picked by the head coaches to win the Southland race again in 2014.
The Bears are 3-6 in non-conference action. UCA's wins have come over Louisiana-Monroe and Samford in three sets and LSU in five.
Last year's runner-up, Northwestern State, was also picked to repeat in second place in the coaches' poll. The Demons also are 3-6 so far this year. A&M-Corpus Christi was predicted to finish third with Sam Houston in fourth.
The Bearkats complete non-conference action in another talent-laden tournament this weekend in Fort Worth. Sam Houston will face off with TCU, High Point and Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the Horned Frog Molten Classic.
Sam Houston begins Southland Conference action on Saturday, September 27, against Lamar in Beaumont. The Bearkats' first league match at home will be Thursday, October 9, versus Incarnate Word.
