SHSU returns home to face Nicholls, McNeese
9/28/2016 5:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball, Athletics
Matches 16–17
Thursday, Sept. 29 • 6:30 pm • Huntsville, Texas • Health & Kinesiology Center
Sam Houston State (6-9, 0-2 SLC) vs Nicholls (4-13, 0-2 SLC)
Live Stats • @BearkatsVB on Twitter
Thursday, Oct. 1 • 2:00 pm • Huntsville, Texas • Health & Kinesiology Center
Sam Houston State (6-9, 0-2 SLC) vs McNeese State (4-13, 0-2 SLC)
Live Stats • @BearkatsVB on Twitter
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Sam Houston State volleyball team will be looking to crack the win column in Southland Conference play this week with a pair of matches beginning Thursday against Nicholls followed by a Saturday meeting with McNeese State.
Both matches will be held at the Health & Kinesiology Center (HKC) with admission free to all fans.
“This week, we've got to focus on where we are going,” head coach Brenda Gray said. “We always use matches, whether we have won or lost, as a learning experience. There are still a lot of things we can work on, depending on what showed up the match before.”
Following a challenging non-conference slate played exclusively on the road that included a pair of top-25 opponents, the Kats got no favors in the opening Southland week of the season, dropping a pair of matches to preseason league favorites Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Stephen F. Austin.
The Kats will be looking to snap a five-match losing streak and avoid its first 0-3 league start since 2000.
“I think we have to take matches whether you are on the road or at the house.,” Gray said. “I know a lot of people talk about whether you are home or away, but it's one match. Whether we are at home or on the road, we want to play the best we can possibly play and just get after it.”
Individually, junior outside hitter Jordyn Vaughn enters the weekend third in the Southland with 3.26 kills per set while sophomore Amanda Gooch is proving to be one of the most efficient hitters in the SLC as her .297 attack percentage is second-best in the league.
“I think Jordyn has had a tremendous year, so far,” Gray said. “She was MVP at the Tulane tournament and is putting up very good numbers both offensively and defensively. She is somewhat a quiet leader with her demeanor, but very strong with her physical skills.”
Both the Colonels and Cowgirls are in search of their first conference win of the season as well after each went 0-2 last week against Northwestern State and Central Arkansas.
THE SERIES
vs Nicholls
Sam Houston has dominated the series with the Colonels, owning a 33-6 record against Nicholls dating back to 1981. The Kats have been even more dominant of late, having won 15 in a row against Nicholls with the last defeat coming in 2003.
vs McNeese State
The Kats are 29-20 all-time against McNeese State and had been riding an eight-match win streak in the series until a five-set win by the Cowgirls in 2015. Sam Houston has not lost to McNeese in Huntsville since the 2007 season.
