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.
Bearkats Volleyball’s 13-Game Win Streak Snapped By Demons
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Natchitoches, La. – Sam Houston’s 13-match volleyball winning streak ended Tuesday night as Northwestern State shut out the Bearkats in three sets 25-21 25-21 25-22.
The Demons extended their winning streak to eight matches and produced only the second 20-victory season in Northwestern State volleyball history with the win.
The contest pitted Southland leader Sam Houston with third place Northwestern State.
Coming into the match the Kats held a half-match advantage over Central Arkansas in the stands.
SHSU drops to 18-10 for the year and 13-3 in Southland play.
The Demons now are 20-8 overall and 12-4 in league action.
Kendall Cleveland led both teams with 16 kills and Deveney Wells-Gibson added 14 as Sam Houston totaled 38 kills.
Setter Tayler Gray assisted on 33 of the kills.
Stacey Difrancesco led the Demons with 12 kills.
Perhaps her most important point came in the first set with the score tied 20-20.
Difrancesco put away a kill that started a 5-1 run for Northwestern State to win the first set.
The Demons jumped out to a 4-1 margin in the second frame and never trailed in a closely fought set.
Sam Houston held a brief 8-7 lead in the third set and were down only one at 20-19.
But Northwestern State closed out the match by winning five of the next eight points.
Sam Houston will complete the regular season with home matches Thursday at 7 p.m. against McNeese State and Saturday at 3 p.m. with Lamar.
Gray Named SLC’s “Defensive Player of The Week”
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston junior setter Tayler Gray has been named as Southland Conference volleyball “Defensive Player of the Week” after leading the first place Bearkats to a pair of home victories.
Gray produced her 19th and 20th double double of the season as Sam Houston State earned sweeps against Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State.
The junior from Huntsville, Texas (Huntsville H.S.) averaged 4.5 digs per set over the week while assisting on 71 of Sam Houston’s 90 kills.
She sits second in the Southland with 10.76 assists per set while the Bearkats are on a 13-match win streak which is the longest in Sam Houston history since it joined Division I.
Sam Houston’s Deveney Wells-Gibson took honorable mention honors for Southland “Offensive Player of the Week”.
The Bearkats have three matches remaining in the regular season with two this week at home at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
Sam Houston travels to Northwestern State Tuesday night, plays host to McNeese State Thursday, and finishes the season at home against Lamar at 3 p.m.
Bearkats Climbs To No.3 In Both FCS And Coaches Polls
by Cheval John
After dismantling Southeastern Louisiana Lions 70-0, the Bearkat football team have moved up one spot to No.3 in both the Sports Network FCS polls and the Coaches Polls.
The Bearkats have been in the top 25 for 21 straight weeks and have been in the top 10 for 18 straight weeks.
SHSU have an overall record of 7-2 and are currently in second place with a 5-1 in the Southland Conference (SLC).
University of Central Arkansas leads the conference with a 6-1 record and have a bye this week.
They have already claim the title after beating the Demons last Saturday.
The Bearkats have a shot to claim a share of the SLC title this Saturday as they face Northwestern State Demons in Natchitoches.
The game will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network and it’s affiliates at 3 p.m.
Bearkats Cruised To An 92-45 Win In Exhibition Game
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Led by Sequeena Thomas with 15 points and 10 rebounds, the Sam Houston women’s basketball team rolled to a 92-45 exhibition victory over Southwestern University of Georgetown Sunday afternoon.
Thomas was one of four Bearkats in double figures. Chanice Smith added 14 points, Jazmin Wiley 13 and Britni Martin 12.
The Kats never trailed in contest.
Ahead by one, 5-4 at the 18:23 mark, SHSU went on a 12-2 run to go up 17-6 and never led by less than double digits the rest of the way.
Sam Houston led 42-24 at intermission and out-scored the Pirates 50-21 in the second half.
The Bearkats shot an impressive 53.5 percent from the field, hitting 38-of-71 from the floor.
Led by Smith with four treys, the Kats were 7-of-20 from three point range.
Audrey Garcia led Southwestern with 17 points. The Kat defense limited the Pirates to 32.1 percent shooting (18-of-56).
Sam Houston also had the advantage on the boards with 41 rebounds to the visitor’s 36.
Martin assisted on seven Bearkat baskets, blocked two shots and had four steals.
Kaysean Clavelle also was credited with four steals as the defense created 32 Southwestern turnovers.
Sam Houston opens 2012-13 regular season action Friday with their opening round game in the preseason Women’s Basketball Invitational (WNIT) at Delaware.