Sam Houston State volleyball picked up its first win of the season, sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff (25-15, 25-18, 25-19) to close out the UTA Maverick Classic on Saturday afternoon following a pair of five-set defeats to begin its highly-anticipated campaign.

The Bearkats (1-2) were strong on the attack, hitting .433 in the opening set while notching five service aces including two from Jordyn Vaughn. In the frame, Brooke White registered six of her 14 kills.

In the second set, the defense showed through, as Sam Houston limited UAPB (0-3) to a .065 attack percentage while Sarah Sherman captured four of her five total kills. The 2-0 start also showed a reversal of fortune after the Bearkats were forced to claw from 2-0 deficits in eventual five-set losses against UT-Arlington and Sacramento State.

Sam Houston closed out UAPB with a steady diet of both offense and defense in the third, posting a .256 attack percentage while limiting its opponent to just a .152 tilt. In the frame, Vaughn led the way with six of her 13 total kills while White notched five and Amanda Gooch followed with four.

The Kats return to play next Friday, visiting Tulane's Green Wave Classic. Sam Houston takes on Bethune-Cookman on Friday at 4 p.m. before closing out the tournament Saturday with a 10 a.m. match against UT-Rio Grande Valley and a 7 p.m. tilt versus Tulane.

On the opening weekend, Vaughn finished with 45 kills followed by White's 44 through the three matches. Taylor Cunningham posted a team-leading 10 blocks and Claire Kilpatrick added 46 digs. For the latest on the program, follow @BearkatsVB on Twitter and Instagram.