Box Score 

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Breanne Chausse and Caroline Sheaff each delivered career highs in kills and the Sam Houston Bearkats shook off a rough start to take down New Orleans, 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-18) on Saturday afternoon at the Human Performance Center.

Chausse put home a match-high 16 kills, while Sheaff had 15 on just 27 swings to give the Bearkats (14-5, 6-1 SLC) a balanced effort that saw them hit .221 as a team to register their fourth consecutive victory.

The Kats had to work past a slow first set, one which saw them hit just .121, but they would hit no lower than .200 in any of the final three sets while forcing 15 UNO (10-14, 4-5 SLC) errors in that span.

Taylor Cunningham had just 12 kills, but still finished with a double-double, adding 11 digs and three blocks. Meanwhile, Louisiana native Elise Smith turned in a solid afternoon with eight kills on 17 swings and five blocks.

Jaclyn Ward dished out 51 assists and had two blocks, while Madison Wallace had 18 digs and Addison Miller added 13.

Sam Houston scored a dozen kills in the opening set, but fell victim to eight attack errors and allowed three service errors as the Privateers stole the first set by a 25-20 margin. The second set sang a different song with Sam Houston going on a 9-2 run to finish the set and tie things up at one apiece at the midway point.

In the third set the Kats took the lead at 7-6 and never looked back, pushing the lead to as much as five before Smith finished it out with a kill. The final set was tight midway through, but Sam Houston got the lead at 15-14 on a block from Ward and Smith and then went on a run that opened up a 24-16 lead before ending in another Smith kill.

NEXT UP
The Kats return home and will be in the friendly confines of Johnson Coliseum three times next week, beginning Tuesday when they host Houston Baptist at 6:30 p.m.