Lamar foe in volleyball Southland opener
9/26/2014 10:28:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
After a successful non-conference schedule which saw the Bearkats go 7-6, win one tournament title and have four players selected all-tournament a total of six times, the Sam Houston volleyball team opens Southland Conference action Saturday.
The Kats face Lamar at 1 p.m. in Beaumont at McDonald Gym in the first of three road matches that will begin league action for the SHSU women.
The seven non-conference victories this year stand as the most wins Sam Houston has totaled going into its Southland opener since the 1994 Bearkats started league play with 11 wins.
Led by outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson and middle blocker Shelby Genung, Sam Houston has posted big wins over California State-Bakersfield (Western Athletic Conference), Mississippi State (Southeastern Conference), Oral Roberts (Summit League) and Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt).
The Bearkats have come close to two other big wins, falling in tight five-set matches to the University of Houston and High Point University of North Carolina.
Lamar is 0-12 in non-conference play with every match played on the road against tough competition. Saturday's match will be the Cardinals first at home in Beaumont.
“It's always a battle when we play Lamar, no matter what the records,” Sam Houston head coach Brenda Gray said. “We've got to be ready to play.”
Last year's match with the Cardinals in Beaumont is a prime example of what happens when the two teams meet. Sam Houston won in four tight sets but had to come from behind 19-25 25-21 27-25 25-22.
Lamar is led by Cortney Moore who ranks tops in the Southland Conference in attack percentage at .371. Setter Ashley Ellis is third in assists at 10.07 per set, while Amethyst Hollowell is second in service aces at 0.46 per set.
Sam Houston is getting strong play out of several young players who have stepped into starting rolls this season. Setter Michelle Griffith has assisted on 510 of Sam Houston's 633 kills to average 10.2 assists per set. Libero Claire Kilpatrick leads the Kat defense with 181 digs (3.62 per set). Both are sophomores
Another sophomore, outside hitter Breanna Homer, has been a force both offensively and defensively with 50 kills and 178 digs (3.63 per set).
Junior middle blocker Carling Urben and freshman outside hitter Brooke White have combined for 145 kills this fall. Genung leads the team with 30 blocks.
Wells-Gibson was “Most Valuable Player” and all-tournament at the Sam Houston Invitational and followed up with an all-tournament performance at the Pioneer Classic in Denver.
Genung earned all-tournament honors at Sam Houston and the University of Houston Classic. Griffith was all-tournament at Sam Houston as well and Urben took the honor last week in the TCU event in Fort Worth.
Sam Houston travels to Nicholls and McNeese State next Thursday and Saturday, respectively, before returning to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum for its first home match in 39 days when the Kats play host to Incarnate Word Thursday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m.
