Box Score

HUNTSVILLE – Caroline Sheaff and Breanne Chausse each delivered a combined 25 kills and the Sam Houston State Bearkats won for the fifth straight time on Tuesday, sweeping their way past Houston Baptist, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 26-24) at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

The win keeps the Kats (15-5, 7-1 SLC) within one game of the top spot in the Southland Conference and gives Sam Houston its best start through 20 matches since the 1994 season.

Sam Houston hit just .198 as a team, but relied on its defense once again. The Kats entered the match ranked sixth in the nation in opponent's attack percentage and held HBU (10-12, 3-5 SLC) to just .067 hitting in the match, including less than .100 in each of the evening's three sets.

Sheaff backed up setting a career high in kills on Saturday against New Orleans by equaling that mark with 15 scores in just three sets against HBU. The sophomore needed 34 swings to get her total and added a pair of blocks, and she was joined in double figures by Chausse who had 10 scores and three blocks.

Jaclyn Ward added 33 assists and a pair of rejections, and Madison Wallace had 14 digs. Elise Smith also added six kills and four blocks, while Taylor Cunningham had a dozen digs and three blocks.

The Kats opened the match strong, racing out to an 11-4 advantage in the opening set before the Huskies came all the way back to eventually take the lead at 14-13. Things were still tied at 16-16 before one of Sheaff's five kills in the set snapped the tie and from there the Kats would close it out with eight of the final 12 points of the set, including two of Chausse's six kills in the set to finish it off.

Sheaff added seven more kills in the second set, the Kats' best offensive set which saw them hit .306 and never trail after a kill from Ashley Lewis sparked a run that eventually had Sam Houston up by as much as 10 points at 23-13.

One set later the Kats had to outlast the Huskies, despite holding a 21-16 lead in the set after a combined block from Smith and Ward. But HBU managed to fight back, eventually tying it up at 22-22 and again at 24-24. But the Kats were able to get the final two points to finish it off on a kill from Chausse and a Husky attack error.

NEXT UP
The Kats will go for their sixth win in a row on Thursday when they host Southeastern La. at Johnson Coliseum. The match will be aired on ESPN3.