Madison Wallace, Brooke White and Taylor Cunningham combined for 38 of Sam Houston's 54 kills as the Bearkats defeated Lamar in four sets in both squad's Southland Conference volleyball opener Friday at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

Wallace and White each totaled 14 kills while Cunningham added 10 as the Kats upped their season record to 7-8 with a  25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 25-10 victory. Cortney Moore led Lamar with 14 kills as the Cardinals fell to 10-5 for the year.

The 14 kills is a season high for Wallace, a freshman outside hitter.

“We were clicking pretty well on offense tonight,” Sam Houston head coach Brenda Gray said. “We kept going right at them.”

Homer added eight kills and Shelby Genung totaled five. Setter Michelle Griffith assisted on 48 of Sam Houston's 54 kills. Homer and Kilpatrick led the defense with 18 and 15 digs, respectively.

Playing without sophomore Jordyn Vaughn, the Bearkats' second-leading scorer who is out with an ankle injury, Sam Houston got a strong team effort.

“Breanna did a good job in the front row,” Gray said. “It's tough going into a match without one of your starters. We subbed a lot tonight and everybody did their job.”

Each of the first three sets were close until the end until one team pulled away. In an opening set that saw three lead changes, the two were tied 17-17. Behind serving by White, Claire Kilpatrick and Breanna Homer, the Bearkats finished the set with an 8-2 run.

There were three lead changes in the second stanza as well. Sam Houston led 15-13 when Lamar went on a run by winning 12 of the next 16 points and evening the match at a set apiece.

The third set proved pivotal with 13 ties and seven lead changes. Down by two, 20-18, the Kats won seven of the next nine points to go up two sets to one.

Sam Houston never trailed in the final set, jumping out to a 9-1 lead. The Bearkats next action is a Tuesday night match at Northwestern State.