Sam Houston headed to Baylor Tournament
9/3/2015 9:18:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
After a successful start to the 2015 season with a runner-up finish at the 27th Bearkat Volleyball Invitational last weekend, Sam Houston takes on another challenge against three top teams at the Hampton Inn Waco North Baylor Classic this weekend.
The Kats will take on host team Baylor at 4 p.m. on Friday. Then, on Saturday, face Cal Poly at 12:30 p.m. and Coppin State at 4:30 p.m.
Sam Houston posted three-set victories over Prairie View A&M and Tulane and a four-set win over Montana State from the tough Big Sky Conference last Friday and Saturday. UTSA, Conference USA co-champions a year ago and this year's CUSA preseason favorites, won the tournament – but just barely. The Kats took the Roadrunners to a fifth set, falling Saturday 15-12 in the final frame.
“We played with a lot of energy in the tournament,” Sam Houston head coach Brenda Gray said. “We had two teams in here from bigger conferences and we competed well with them. It was disappointing to lose to UTSA, but only their margin of victory was only three points. You can't complain about that.”
Sophomore Brooke White won Southland Conference offensive “player of the week” honors Monday after leading the league with 59 kills last weekend. White posted double-figure kills in each match in the tournament including a high of 17 in the UTSA contest.
Jordyn Vaughn, another sophomore, was right behind White with 49 kills. Junior middle blocker Shelby Genung joined White on the all-tournament squad Saturday. Genung totaled 25 kills and led the team with eight blocks and eight service aces.
“I like this group,” Gray said of her young squad that has no seniors. “We played with a lot of energy the entire tournament.”
Cal Poly is the only member of the field at Baylor coming into the event unbeaten. The Mustangs opened with four-set victories over San Jose State and Sacramento State and a five-set win against Fresno State.
Adlee Van Winden, a freshman outside hitter, leads Cal Poly totaled 28 kills at the San Jose tournament and was named Big West Conference “freshman player of the week.”
Host team Baylor stands 2-1 after playing at Colorado State's invitational last week. The Bearkats lost to Colorado State in three sets and won over Northern Iowa and UC-Davis in a pair of five-set nail-biters. Andie Malloy and Katie Staiger lead Baylor with 40 and 39 kills, respectively.
Coppin State is looking for its first victory after losing three times at the Towson tournament. Coppin State lost in three to both Tennessee and Towson and went four sets with Manhattan. Cindy Okpegbue leads the team with 35 kills.
The Baylor event is the second of four intercollegiate tournaments the Bearkats in which the Bearkats will participate to start the season. Sam Houston heads to Rice Friday and Saturday Sept. 11-12. The Kats next home volleyball match is “Grow The Growl” night at Johnson Coliseum Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6:30 p.m. The Texas State Bobcats are the opponent.
