Kats Open Busy Week At Home With SFA
10/31/2016 4:37:00 PM | Athletics
Matches 25-27
Tuesday, Nov. 1 • 6:30 p.m. • Huntsville, Texas • Health & Kinesiology Center
Sam Houston State (12-12, 6-5 SLC) vs Stephen F. Austin (16-8, 9-2 SLC)
Live Stats • @BearkatsVB on Twitter
Thursday, Nov. 3 • 6:30 p.m. • Huntsville, Texas • Health & Kinesiology Center
Sam Houston State (12-12, 6-5 SLC) vs Southeastern La. (6-19, 5-7 SLC)
Live Stats • @BearkatsVB on Twitter
Friday, Nov. 5 • 2:00 p.m. • Huntsville, Texas • Health & Kinesiology Center
Sam Houston State (12-12, 6-5 SLC) vs New Orleans (4-21, 1-11 SLC)
Live Stats • @BearkatsVB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – After splitting a pair of road matches over the weekend, the Sam Houston State volleyball team hosts three matches at the Health & Kinesiology Center this week beginning Tuesday against Stephen F. Austin.
The Bearkats currently sit alone in the fifth spot in the league standings, a game back of Abilene Christian who is ineligible for this year's league tournament after closing out last week with a 3-1 win at Lamar on Saturday.
Sam Houston continues to get a balanced attack offensively, sporting two players in the league's top 10 in kills per set in Southland play. Brooke White averaged more than four kills per set in two matches last week and is averaging 3.19 against conference opponents this season while Jordyn Vaughn is scoring 3.26 per set against like competition.
Since entering Southland play the Kats rank second in both assists (12.79 aps) and kills (13.33 kps) as a team, only trailing league-leading A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Kats will have their hands full with the Ladyjacks on Tuesday as SFA is riding a four-match win streak and sporting one of the SLC's top defenses, pacing the league in opponent's hitting percentage (.166), blocks (2.54 bps) and digs (18.29 dps).
Justice Walker is averaging 1.43 blocks per set, second best in the league against the SLC while Lexus Cain's 5.41 digs per set is tops among all Southland players.
Southeastern put an end to a three-match losing skid on Saturday when they went on the road and took out McNeese in five sets.
The Privateers enter the week having dropped seven straight matches, having not won since an Oct. 8 victory at Southeastern Louisiana in five sets. That win over the Lions still serves as UNO's lone win away from the Crescent City this year. Setter Sarah Thomas ranks third in the SLC with 10.56 assists per set in league play, while the Privateers are pacing the league with 1.91 service aces per set as a team.
THE SERIES
vs Stephen F. Austin
Sam Houston trails the all-time series with Stephen F. Austin by a 34-18 margin, including a win in Nacogdoches earlier this season.
vs Southeastern La.
The Bearkats have owned the all-time series against the Lions, winning 19 of the 28 matches played. Sam Houston has won the last seven in the series with Southeastern's last win coming in 2008.
vs New Orleans
The Kats won the first 14 in the all-time series against UNO, including victories in the Privateers' first two seasons in the Southland Conference; however, Sam Houston will be looking to avenge a loss to the Privateers last year in New Orleans.
