Bearkats open Southland play Friday night
9/21/2015 5:26:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
After a challenging non-conference schedule in which the Bearkats have been tested against nationally-ranked opponents, the Sam Houston volleyball team is ready for the start of the 2015 Southland Conference race.
The Kats play host to Lamar Friday at 6:30 p.m. in Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. The Cardinals bring a four-match winning streak into the contest and own the league's second-best non-conference record, standing 10-4 for the year.
The Bearkats been tested in four talent-filled intercollegiate tournaments, finishing as runner-up at the Sam Houston Invitational and third in events hosted by Baylor, Rice and College of Charleston.
Sam Houston brings one of the top offenses in the league to the floor Friday night. The Kats rank second in the Southland in total kills with an average of 12.38 per set. Brooke White (182 kills, 3.63 per set) and Jordyn Vaughn (178 kills, 3.38 per set) rank third and fourth among the league's individual leaders in total kills.
Michelle Griffith, a preseason All-Southland Conference selection at setter, ranks number two in the conference in assists with 9.82 per set. Libero Claire Kilpatrick stands third in the league in digs with 4.46 per set.
Sam Houston has long been a force in Southland Conference volleyball. The Bearkats have finished among the top three teams in the conference race five of the last six years.
