Bearkats close Maverick Classic 2-1

Saturday, September 5

Arlington

2:00 PM

4-1,0-0CUSA

Kent State

2-4,0-0MAC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Sam Houston	25	25	25	3
Kent State	12	19	19	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Sam Houston	25	24	23	25	15	3
UT Arlington	18	26	25	15	11	2

Photo by: Paige Holland

Bearkats close Maverick Classic 2-1

9/5/2026 9:59:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ARLINGTON — The Bearkats closed out the Maverick Classic with a pair of wins Saturday, sweeping Kent State 3-0 before rallying past UT Arlington 3-2 to finish the tournament 2-1.

Sam Houston 3, Kent State 0

The Bearkats' defense stifled Kent State from the start Saturday, holding the Golden Flashes to a .083 hitting percentage as Sam Houston cruised to a 3-0 sweep.

Sam Houston opened the match with a 25-12 win in the first set and carried that momentum into the second, using a five-point run to pull away for a 25-19 victory. Kent State battled in the third, keeping the Bearkats within one point early in the set, but Bella Wood delivered an ace to extend Sam Houston's lead. The Kats closed out the match with another 25-19 set victory.

Chloe Monson paced the Bearkats offensively with 14 kills while hitting .346 for the match. Rachelle Reed anchored the defense at the net, recording five assisted blocks and one solo block as Sam Houston totaled 11 blocks.

Lauren Pyle finished with 19 assists, while freshman Brenlin Garlitz added 15 assists to help lead the Bearkats' offense.

Sam Houston's defense limited Kent State to 28 kills on 96 attacks, keeping the Golden Flashes from finding an offensive rhythm throughout the match.

Sam Houston 3, UT Arlington 2

The Bearkats battled the Mavericks through five sets, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to secure a 3-2 victory.

Transfer Annika Brooks led the Bearkats with a career-high 18 kills while hitting .412. Bella Wood added 11 kills, while Rachelle Reed continued her strong defensive performance with four assisted blocks and a season-high three solo blocks.

Sam Houston took the first set 25-18 before the Mavericks answered with wins in the second and third, 26-24 and 25-23.

The Kats responded in the fourth, taking a 25-15 win to force a decisive fifth set. Sam Houston carried the momentum into the final set, closing out the match 15-11.

The Bearkats return home Tuesday for a midweek Battle of the Piney Woods against SFA.

First serve against the Lumberjacks is set for 6 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. The match can be followed through live stats and streamed on ESPN+.