HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State volleyball team could feel the home court advantage on Tuesday night as 454 spectators packed into the Health & Kinesiology Center for the squad's first home match of the season. Unfortunately, they could not capitalize.
The Bearkats fell 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-23) to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Southland Conference opener, plagued by a tenacious offensive attack from an Islanders squad that won all 15 regular-season matches in league play a season ago.
“I don't know if we were overanxious or being here at home after the great preseason we had, we just wanted to show everybody what we had,” head coach Brenda Gray said. We have faced some huge teams this year and played fantastic and made adjustments.”
Trailing 2-0, Sam Houston took a 16-12 lead in the third set but could not shut the door as the Islanders took seven of the next nine points and re-gained the lead.
“We missed two serves back to back,” Gray said of the third set. “We talk a lot about missed serves. It's basically a three-point swing. We do that in practice. When you miss a serve not only do they get the ball but they get a little momentum.”
Sam Houston was led by Jordyn Vaughn's nine kills and Michelle Griffith's 24 assists. Amanda Gooch added two block assists but the Bearkats (6-8, 0-1 SLC) were out-blocked 10-3 in the match. The Isalnders (6-6, 1-0 SLC) hit .461 for the match including .522 in the second frame.
“Our serve-receive broke and we couldn't get it back,” Gray said of the second set. “She must have reeled off eight or nine serves in a row. Not that they were all aces but she was generating point after point. She was pushing us back. Normally that doesn't happen. We haven't dealt with this feeling this year.”
The Kats will look to rebound on Saturday against Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sam Houston returns home for two straight beginning next Tuesday against Nicholls at 6:30 p.m. from the HKC. Admission is free to all attendees.
“The crowd was great,” Gray said. “Volleyball generally has a great turnout. I hope that those who came tonight aren't so disappointed that they elect not to come back. Usually we're pretty exciting to watch. This team will get their stuff together. This match tonight will not be the deciding factor at the end of the year. With a crowd like that, we can use that to our advantage anytime.”
