Sam Houston State volleyball coach Brenda Gray turned, pumped her first and said, “Yes,” as the Bearkats celebrated their latest victory Thursday night at Johnson Coliseum.
It wasn’t pretty. In fact, the match went five sets for the 11th time this season. But Gray was excited because the Bearkats once again found a way to win, rallying from a 10-5 deficit in the final frame to seal a 17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 26-28 and 15-13 victory over Texas-San Antonio.
Sam Houston State (18-10 overall) has now won 10 matches in a row and stayed atop the Southland Conference West Division with a 10-1 mark. The victory also clinched the Bearkats a spot in the SLC tournament, which will be held in San Antonio on Nov. 20-22.
“We should have won that one in the fourth,” Gray said. “We got a little relaxed in the fourth, and sometimes when you get a lead, you get away from what is working. But UTSA has a good team and I don’t know how we have beaten them twice. They are big and athletic, and I think we are a little bit better defensively.
“We were down in the fifth set, and I told them that we are never out of it. I told them to bring everything they had, and they did.”
The Bearkats had a chance to put away the Roadrunners (4-6 in SLC, 9-15 overall) in the fourth set after Sam Houston took a two games to one lead when freshman Camille Alfaro knocked down two straight spikes to close out game three.
UTSA was up 23-20 following an attack error in the fourth game, but sophomore Kim Black notched a kill and sophomore Carli Kolbe had an ace to cut the lead to one.
The Bearkats finally took the lead at 26-25 thanks to a net violation and a ball handling error. The Roadrunners fought off match point and tied things up at two games apiece on a pair of attack errors.
Sam Houston came out sluggish in the final game as UTSA built a 10-5 advantage. But the Bearkats didn’t panic.
Sophomore Courtney Laskowski came off the bench to serve and sparked a four-point run. She had two aces in a row, which caused the Roadrunners to committ a rotation error for another ace to cut the lead to 10-9.
Black tied the set at 13 with a kill, freshman setter Michelle Miller had another ace and a ball handling error gave the Kats the victory.
“We know that once we get to the fifth game it is our game,” said Alfaro, who had 13 kills and 12 digs. “We know that we can step it up. Nobody is going to beat us in the fifth game. That is our goal, to not let anybody beat us in five.”
The fifth game has been the charm for Sam Houston State this season. In the 11 five-set matches the Bearkats have had, they have won nine, including three in a row.
Black finished with a team-high 14 kills and senior Anna Ferguson chipped in 13. Kolbe had 13 spikes and 14 digs, while Miller added 47 assists and 15 digs.
“Kim Black had a monster match for us tonight,” Gray added. “I also thought that those three aces Courtney had in the fifth game were huge for us. Camille was good tonight, and Anna and Carli, even when they aren’t great, are as good as anybody out there.
“This team is beginning to rise. We are having other people step up and that has been the reason for our success.”
The Bearkats have one final home match on Saturday when they face Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi at 2 p.m.
Sports
Related Photos
-
D.J. Shafer
Discussion
Bearkats win another thriller for 10th straight
Sam Houston defeats Roadrunners, clinches spot in SLC tourney
- Sports
-
-
Big week ahead for Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs
To say that this is an important week for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball team would be a big understatement. With the regular season winding down, much is at stake for the New Waverly boys and girls.
-
Bulldog lifters gain experience at Shepherd meet
Looking back on his lifters’ performance at last Saturday’s meet in Shepherd, New Waverly powerlifting coach Mike Carolan lauded his team’s efforts. Senior Tucker Saxton won the 220-pound classification and freshman Dillon Silvis took fifth in the 114-pound division.
- Running Shorts: First 50-miler in the books
-
Hornet powerlifters fare well at Shepherd meet
-
Huntsville’s Thompson cruises at Willis tennis tourney, wins singles title
Hard rain, blustery wind and a change of venue could not stop Huntsville senior Kyle Thompson last Friday. The Hornets’ top tennis player cruised to three consecutive victories and earned the championship trophy in boys singles at a dual match in Willis.
- Who ya got, Pats or Giants?
-
Bearkats back on top
The Bearkats got caught playing down to Southeastern Louisiana’s level in the first half, but a lights-out second half led to a 67-46 victory over the Lions on Saturday.
Sam Houston State turned the ball over 10 times, which resulted in nine Southeastern points at the break. That’s why the Lions trailed by only three at halftime, though they only shot 26.5 percent (9-of-34) from the floor.
Southeastern played even worse in the final 20 minutes, but most of that had to do with Sam Houston’s raised intensity level, thanks to a firm halftime message that stuck. -
Hornet wrestlers make marked improvements at district meet
Exhausted but still exhilarated, the young wrestlers on the Huntsville High School team are already talking about what they can accomplish next year.
Last-place finishers at the District 20-5A meet last winter, the Hornets made a major move in 2012, finishing fifth in the 13-team varsity boys field at the district meet Friday.
Huntsville’s girls finished sixth in the team standings and Lady Hornets freshman Marissa Dixon won a district championship in the girls 128-pound division. -
Hornets fall in OT, must win three in row now
The Hornets had their chances in regulation and in overtime, but they couldn’t quite get a much-needed win at Kingwood Park on Friday night.
In a basketball game that was slowed to a crawl, Huntsville dropped a 51-46 decision to the Panthers in overtime.
The pressure’s now on Huntsville in the final week and a half in order to get into the postseason. -
Whispering Pines golf pro Rowe recognized as one of country’s top 50 kids’ teachers
Whispering Pines golf professional Chris Rowe is among the class of the Top 50 Kids Teachers for 2011, as selected by U.S. Kids Golf.
Rowe has been a junior golf instructor for 22 years and is currently the head professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club near Trinity. This is the first time Rowe has been named a Top 50 Kids Teacher by U.S. Kids Golf. - More Sports Headlines
-
Police: Father Planned Deadly Fire for Some Time
US, UK Pressure on Syria; More Homs Violence
Raw Video: Mass Killer Wants Medal, Freedom
Few Answers in Death of Sons of Missing Utah Mom
Court Strips Contador of Tour De France Title
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Raw Video: Deadly Helicopter Crash in Australia
Raw Video: Smoke, Purported Gunfire in Syria
Romney Latest Poll to Join Let-me-explain Club
Blast Kills Husband of Missing Utah Mom, 2 Boys
Obama: US, Israel Will Work Against Iran Nukes
NJ Museum Finds 19th Century Recording
Snow Causes Disruptions in Much of Europe
Clinton: Vetoed U.N. Syria Resolution 'travesty'
Romney Picks Up Decisive Win in Nevada Caucuses
Gingrich Renews Vow to Campaign Until Convention
Romney Rolls to Easy Win in Nevada GOP Caucuses
Raw Video: Missing Family Found Alive in Ore.
Police Clear Tents From Occupy Site in DC
