Bearkat Volleyball Takes Aim At Southland Conference Title

Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information

The Sam Houston volleyball team is two victories away from hoisting a Southland Conference regular season championship trophy for the first time since 1994.

The Bearkats play host to McNeese State Thursday at 7 p.m. and Lamar Saturday at 3 p.m.

If the SHSU volleyball teams win both those matches they can do no worse than be tied for the championship with Central Arkansas.

Both Sam Houston and UCA enter this weekend’s action tied for first place with identical 13-3 records.

Both play their final two games on their home floor.

Sam Houston’s foes, McNeese State (7-23, SLC 1-15) and Lamar (10-20, SLC 2-14 already have been eliminated from competition for any of the eight berths in the Southland post season tournament.

Central Arkansas faces third place Northwestern State (20-8, SLC 12-4) Thursday night and fourth place Stephen F. Austin (20-10, SLC 10-6).

UCA, Northwestern State and SFA are the three teams that were responsible for the Bearkats’ Southland losses this year.

The Bearkats have won 13 of their last 14 matches with an attack led by Deveney Wells-Gibson, Kendall Cleveland and Kaylee Hawkins.

Wells-Gibson was totaled 462 points this year with 406 kills 29 service aces and 49 total blocks.

Cleveland and Hawkins have added 368 and 263 points, respectively.

Sam Houston setter Tayler Gray was Southland Conference “Defensive Player of the Week” last week.

She has assisted on 1,088 or SHSU’s 1,328 kills this year and is leading the team with 3.61 digs per set.

Haley Neisler, Kim Black and libero Camille Alfaro also have been key performers for what has turned into Sam Houston’s most successful season in more than a decade.

The Bearkats won Southland titles in both 1993 and 1994 but have finished no higher than second in the Southland race (1996 and 2005) since.

Sam Houston has posted an 18-10 overall record this year.