Sam Houston State split on its final day of non-conference volleyball action Saturday in Fort Worth, falling in five sets to High Point from North Carolina and sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff in three.

The matches came on the second and final day of the Horned Frog Molten Classic tournament hosted by TCU. High Point won a two hour and 20 minute thriller over the Bearkats 23-25 25-22 19-25 25-23 19-17.
The Kats dispatched UAPB 25-7 25-13 25-15 in an hour.

The High Point match was tied 44 times including 13 ties in the final set. There were 27 lead changes with eighth in the fifth set. Sam Houston had a match point at 15-14 and fought off two High Point match points before the final winning score.

Deveney Wells-Gibson totaled a career best 33 kills in 80 attempts against the Panthers. The 33 kills is the sixth highest single match total by a Bearkat in SHSU volleyball history.

Carling Urben added 14 kills. Michelle Griffith assisted on 58 of Sam Houston's 65 total kills. A reflection of the closeness on the match was High Point's thin 81-78 margin in points won.  Claire Kilpatrick totaled 19 digs and Wells-Gibson added 18.

The Bearkats came back strong in the second match of the day, out-pointing UAPB 64-19. Wells-Gibson led the team with 12 kills. Jordyn Vaughn added 11. Kilpatrick and Brooke White each had 13 digs. Griffith totaled 42 assists.

Sam Houston, now 7-6 for the season, travels to Beaumont to face the Lamar Cardinals in the Southland Conference opener for both teams next Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Bearkats do not return home until Thursday, Oct. 9.