Kats highlight trip to Florida with win over SFA

Friday, March 27

Clearwater, Fla.

8:45 AM

South Florida

Photo by: David Langschied

Kats highlight trip to Florida with win over SFA

3/28/2026 6:16:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Sam Houston beach highlighted its trip to the Stampede Beach Opener at Clearwater Beach with a win over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday morning.

The Bearkats dropped a pair of matches on Friday to host South Florida and UTEP, but downed the Lumberjacks in Saturday's morning opener before falling to Sacramento State in the finale.

Sam Houston got wins from the its top three pairs in the win over SFA, starting with Lexi Higgins and Kate Smith taking down SFA's No. 2 pair of Howerton/Parra de So in straight sets. The Lumberjacks followed with a point from the No. 4 court, but Tatum Lockhardt and Michaela Panekova needed little time to put the Kats back in front with a straight-set win on the top court.

Avery Fowler and Payton Rink then provided the clinching point with a 21-11, 21-13 win over Rich/Johnson on court No. 3.

Panekova/Lockhardt earned their second No. 1 win of the weekend in the finale vs Sac State, taking down the Hornets' Ampi/Archer in two frames.

The Kats will get another shot at the Lumberjacks on April 3 when they take on SFA and McNeese in Nacogdoches at the Sandy Boot Scoot.

March 27
South Florida 5, Sam Houston 0
1. Mitchell/Sek (USF) def. Higgins/Smith (SHSU) 21-14, 21-23, 15-9
2. Lajkebova/Stewart (USF) def. Quezada/Folse (SHSU) 21-16, 21-10
3. Panko/Crudu (USF) def. Panekova/Lockhardt (SHSU) 21-11, 21-14
4. Pasloski/Almedia (USF) def. Fowler/Rink (SHSU) 21-14, 21-19
5. Anderson/Zapatka (USF) def. Masiero/Chuong (SHSU) 21-12, 21-13
Order of finish: 2,1,3,4,5

UTEP 5, Sam Houston 0
1. Hill/Acuna (UTEP) def. Lockhardt/Panekova (SHSU) 28-26, 21-18
2. Popovic/Llewellyn (UTEP) def. Smith/Higgins (SHSU) 23-21, 17-21, 16-14
3. Threet/Paegle (UTEP) def. Rink/Stephenson (SHSU) 21-10, 21-14
4. Oporto/Monreal (UTEP) def. Quezada/Folse (SHSU) 21-13, 21-14
5. Theisler/Krieva (UTEP) def. Chuong/Masiero (SHSU) 21-17, 21-12
Order of finish: 5,4,2,3,1

March 28
Sam Houston 3, Stephen F. Austin 2
1. Lockhardt/Panekova (SHSU) def. Dowd/Allison (SFA) 21-14, 21-10
2. Higgins/Smith (SHSU) def. Howerton/Parra de So (SFA) 21-18, 21-14
3. Fowler/Rink (SHSU) def. Rich/Johnson (SFA) 21-11, 21-13
4. Damborowiski/Franca (SFA) def. Quezada/Folse (SHSU) 21-19, 22-20
5. Dioso-Lopez/Reamer (SFA) def. Chuong/Masiero (SHSU) 23-21, 21-11
Order of finish: 2,4,1,3,5

Sacramento State 4, Sam Houston 1
1. Panekova/Lockhardt (SHSU) def. Ampi/Archer (SAC) 21-14, 21-13
2. Marthaler/Bibolotti (SAC) def. Smith/Higgins (SHSU) 21-11, 21-12
3. Doorn/Guevara (SAC) def. Fowler/Rink (SHSU) 21-15, 21-10
4. Davis/Gartin (SAC) def. Quezada/Folse (SHSU) 22-20, 21-17
5. Spohn/Solaita (SAC) def. Stephenson/Masiero (SHSU) 21-14, 21-14
Order of finish: 2,4,1,5,3