Western Kentucky Overpowers Sam Houston, Completes Perfect Conference USA Volleyball Season
By Cheval John | Vallano Media
This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
The final version was reviewed, edited and fact-checked by the author
Graphics created with AI-assisted design tools.
Visual concepts, editorial direction, composition, and final creative decisions were developed by Vallano Media.
Sam Houston opened its final regular-season volleyball series with a 25–23 first-set victory over Western Kentucky on Thursday, November 12, at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville, Texas.
For a moment, the Bearkats had put the Conference USA leaders in an unfamiliar position.
Western Kentucky’s response demonstrated why the Hilltoppers have remained the conference’s standard-bearer.
The visitors won the next six sets across two matches, defeating Sam Houston 3–1 Thursday before completing a straight-set sweep Friday afternoon.
The results gave Western Kentucky a 22–6 overall record, a perfect 16–0 mark in Conference USA and a 17-match winning streak entering the conference tournament.
Sam Houston finished its regular season 17–12 overall and 8–8 in conference play, having already secured a postseason berth.
While the Bearkats showed they could compete with Western Kentucky early in the series, the Hilltoppers’ blocking, offensive efficiency and sustained scoring runs ultimately determined the outcome.
Thursday: Western Kentucky Takes Control at the Net
Sam Houston began Thursday’s match with one of its strongest offensive sets of the weekend.
The Bearkats recorded 16 kills in the opening frame, compared with nine for Western Kentucky, and rallied to win 25–23 after trailing 23–22.
However, the momentum did not carry into the remaining sets.
Western Kentucky responded with victories of 25–20, 25–11 and 25–10, increasingly controlling play at the net.
The second set provided an early indication of the challenge facing Sam Houston.
With Western Kentucky leading 8–7, Alivia Skidmore helped spark a six-point run that extended the advantage to 14–7.
The Bearkats later closed within three points at 20–17, but the Hilltoppers finished the set to even the match.
Western Kentucky’s blocking became even more effective in the third set.
After building a 10–7 lead, the Hilltoppers extended their advantage to 16–8 and eventually 23–9.
They recorded 13 kills and hit .481 in the frame while limiting Sam Houston to four kills.
The fourth set was more decisive.
Western Kentucky opened with five consecutive points, established a 12–2 lead and continued pulling away.
The Hilltoppers hit .611 in the final set, recording 12 kills on 18 attempts without an attack error.
For the match, Western Kentucky hit .345 with 48 kills and nine attack errors.
Sam Houston finished with 38 kills, 33 errors and a .039 hitting percentage.
The largest statistical difference came at the net, where Western Kentucky recorded 16 blocks to Sam Houston’s two.
Senior Izzy Van De Wiele led the Hilltoppers with a career-high 11 blocks, while Kaira Knox recorded 16 kills and five blocks.
Skidmore added 12 kills, and Faith Young contributed 10.
Chloe Monson led Sam Houston with 12 kills.
Chelsea Butler finished with seven, while Faith Roulston and Bella Wood recorded six apiece.
Shaelin White contributed 14 digs.
Western Kentucky’s defensive pressure was particularly noticeable against Butler, one of Sam Houston’s most efficient attackers throughout the season.
As the match progressed, the Hilltoppers repeatedly challenged attacks at the net, limiting Sam Houston’s ability to establish a consistent offensive rhythm.
Western Kentucky head coach Travis Hudson credited Van De Wiele’s blocking for disrupting the Bearkats’ approach.
“She just completely took them out of what they were doing in that third set. They even spun their lineup to get different matchups in the fourth,” Hudson said.
Hudson also described Van De Wiele’s performance as unusually dominant, even by her standards.
The blocking performance helped turn a competitive opening into a convincing four-set victory.
Friday: Hilltoppers Finish the Regular Season Unbeaten
Sam Houston entered Friday’s rematch seeking a different result, but Western Kentucky quickly established control.
The Hilltoppers won 25–18, 25–16 and 25–8 to complete the series sweep.
The opening set was competitive early, with the teams tied at seven.
Western Kentucky gradually created separation through its offense and service game.
Sam Houston remained within reach during portions of the set, including a four-point scoring run that forced a Western Kentucky timeout, but the Hilltoppers closed out the frame.
Western Kentucky opened the second set with three consecutive points and extended its lead to 7–1.
The Bearkats struggled to recover.
The Hilltoppers recorded 12 kills and hit .333 in the set, while Sam Houston finished with eight kills and a .000 hitting percentage.
Western Kentucky claimed the frame 25–16, moving within one set of an undefeated conference regular season.
The third set produced the most lopsided result of the weekend.
After the teams were tied at seven, Western Kentucky took control and allowed Sam Houston just one additional point.
The Hilltoppers won 25–8, recording 14 kills and hitting .591 in the final set.
Sam Houston managed four kills.
Across Friday’s match, Western Kentucky recorded 36 kills, seven attack errors and a .387 hitting percentage.
Sam Houston finished with 24 kills and 23 errors on 84 attempts, producing a season-low .012 hitting percentage.
Western Kentucky also recorded nine service aces and seven blocks.
Van De Wiele delivered another efficient performance, finishing with eight kills on nine attempts without an attack error.
Her .889 hitting percentage established a career best, and she added five blocks.
Young also recorded eight kills.
Setter Kate Rush contributed 31 assists and four service aces, while Knox added seven kills and four aces.
Monson led Sam Houston with seven kills.
Butler finished with five, and Roulston added four.
Brenlin Garlitz recorded 10 assists, while White contributed six digs.
Friday’s result completed Western Kentucky’s undefeated conference campaign and extended its winning streak to 17 matches.
The Numbers Behind Western Kentucky’s Advantage
The two matches highlighted a substantial difference in execution, particularly in attacking efficiency and blocking.
Western Kentucky combined for 84 kills across the series, compared with 62 for Sam Houston.
The Hilltoppers also outblocked the Bearkats 23–6 over the two matches.
Those differences were significant against a Sam Houston team that had produced several strong individual performances throughout the regular season.
According to Conference USA’s overall-season statistics through November 13, Monson ranked second in the league with 3.49 kills per set, totaling 380 kills in 109 sets.
Butler ranked 10th in hitting percentage at .315, while Rachelle Reed stood third in blocks per set at 1.15.
White led the conference in digs per set at 4.34, totaling 473 digs.
Sam Houston also ranked first in the conference in opponent hitting percentage at .185 and fourth in blocks per set at 2.21.
Those figures demonstrate that the Bearkats possessed legitimate defensive strengths and productive individual performers despite their difficulties against Western Kentucky.
However, the Hilltoppers entered postseason play with the conference’s leading hitting percentage at .298, along with league-leading averages of 2.33 blocks and 2.12 service aces per set.
The series illustrated how those strengths could work together.
Western Kentucky’s blocking disrupted Sam Houston’s attack, while the Hilltoppers’ offensive efficiency and serving helped generate sustained scoring runs.
The result was not simply a difference in individual talent, but a clear difference in team execution over the final six sets.
Two Coaches, More Than 1,600 Career Victories
The series also featured two of the conference’s most accomplished coaches.
Western Kentucky’s Travis Hudson reached 800 career victories in November 2025, while Sam Houston’s Brenda Gray earned her 800th victory on October 16, 2026, against Delaware.
Both have built long-running programs, although their teams entered the final regular-season weekend with different circumstances.
Western Kentucky was pursuing another undefeated conference season.
Sam Houston, selected last in the Conference USA preseason poll, had already exceeded that expectation by securing a tournament berth and reaching 17 regular-season victories.
The Hilltoppers’ success reflects a sustained period of conference dominance.
Western Kentucky has completed eight undefeated Conference USA regular seasons since joining the league in 2014, including seven of the past eight seasons.
Friday’s victory added another chapter to that record.
“I feel like we’re playing our best volleyball at the end,” Hudson said following Friday’s sweep.
His assessment reflected a weekend in which Western Kentucky responded to an opening-set defeat by winning six consecutive sets, including four by double-digit margins.
Sam Houston Looks Toward the Postseason
Although the final weekend ended with two losses, Sam Houston’s season continues.
The Bearkats finished 17–12 overall and 8–8 in Conference USA, earning a place in the conference tournament after being picked last in the preseason standings.
That accomplishment should not be overlooked.
At the same time, the Western Kentucky series exposed the difficulty Sam Houston encountered when facing a team capable of combining strong blocking with efficient offense.
The Bearkats’ challenge entering the postseason will be to generate more consistent attacking opportunities and avoid the extended scoring runs that proved costly during the series.
Western Kentucky enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed and host, carrying an undefeated conference record and considerable momentum.
The Conference USA Tournament will take place November 20–22 at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
For Western Kentucky, the regular season ended with another conference milestone.
For Sam Houston, the weekend provided a difficult final test before postseason competition.
The Bearkats showed their potential by winning Thursday’s opening set.
The Hilltoppers demonstrated their strength by winning everything that followed.
Graphics created with AI-assisted design tools.
Visual concepts, editorial direction, composition, and final creative decisions were developed by Vallano Media.
Sam Houston secures CUSA tournament berth with consecutive sweeps of Jacksonville State
By Cheval John | Vallano Media
This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
The final version was reviewed, edited and fact-checked by the author
Graphics created with AI-assisted design tools.
Visual concepts, editorial direction, composition, and final creative decisions were developed by Vallano Media.
Sam Houston began the volleyball season picked to finish last in Conference USA.
On Saturday, the Bearkats secured a place in the conference tournament, with their goal of a top-three finish still within reach.
The Bearkats completed consecutive home sweeps of Jacksonville State at Johnson Coliseum, winning Friday’s match 25–17, 25–16, 25–23 before taking Saturday’s match 25–23, 25–12, 25–16.
Saturday’s victory improved Sam Houston to 16–9 overall and 7–5 in conference play.
The ESPN+ broadcast reported that the Bearkats had clinched their tournament berth, with New Mexico State’s victory over Delaware also contributing to qualification.
The weekend also brought a milestone for the program.
Friday’s victory marked the first time Sam Houston had reached 15 wins since finishing 18–10 in 2021, and its first 15-win season since joining CUSA in 2023.
Coach Brenda Gray made clear that the Bearkats’ ambitions extend beyond qualifying.
“Our goal is to get to the tournament, but our goal this year is to be top three,” Gray said in her ESPN+ postmatch interview Saturday.
Sam Houston, Middle Tennessee and Liberty each stood at 7–5 in conference play after Saturday’s matches.
The Bearkats travel to Middle Tennessee on November 5–6, giving them an opportunity to gain ground against a team sharing their conference record.
Serving and shared production
Sam Houston’s two victories came with contributions throughout the lineup.
No Bearkat reached double figures in kills in either match, but the team produced 33 kills Friday and 34 Saturday.
Chloe Monson led Sam Houston with nine kills in each match and added 10 digs Saturday.
Bella Wood contributed five kills in both victories while collecting seven service aces across the series.
The Bearkats finished with 18 aces over the two matches, compared with Jacksonville State’s eight.
Brenlin Garlitz supplied 16 assists and four aces Friday.
Lauren Pyle added nine assists, while libero Shaelin White led the defense with 11 digs.
On Saturday, Garlitz and Pyle recorded 12 and 11 assists, respectively, and White finished with a team-high 14 digs.
Chelsea Butler contributed four kills on a .500 hitting percentage and five blocks.
Annika Brooks added five block assists.
Monson said having teammates contribute eased the pressure to carry the offense herself.
“It definitely takes the pressure off me trying to have a perfect game every single time,” she said in her ESPN+ interview.
Gray also praised the execution from the service line.
“I think our serving was on point today, wherever I was asking them to go, they were delivering the ball,” she said.
Jacksonville State tests Friday’s finish
Sam Houston won Friday’s opening two sets by eight and nine points, respectively.
The third required the Bearkats to respond to a closer finish and a late reversal.
A successful Jacksonville State challenge changed an apparent 22–19 Sam Houston lead to 21–20.
Monson and Wood answered with kills to extend the advantage.
The Gamecocks stayed within reach, however, saving two match points before Butler delivered the deciding kill for a 25–23 finish.
A final challenge did not change the outcome.
Sam Houston finished the match hitting .238, compared with Jacksonville State’s .140.
In her postmatch interview with Sam Houston SportsTalk, Gray emphasized keeping the team’s attention on its own play and approaching the remaining schedule one match at a time.
With conference positioning still unsettled, the Bearkats returned Saturday needing another victory.
An opening-set escape
Saturday’s first set became the pivotal stretch of the second match.
Sam Houston started with five consecutive points and later led 17–9.
The Bearkats still held a six-point advantage at 22–16 before Jacksonville State scored seven straight points to move ahead 23–22.
Sam Houston answered by winning the final three rallies.
Monson’s kill, assisted by Wood, tied the score.
A bad set by Jacksonville State’s Delaney Moon put the Bearkats ahead, and a Claire Evans attack error completed the 25–23 win.
The Bearkats took the set despite recording eight attack errors against 10 kills, finishing with a .051 hitting percentage.
Their offense became considerably more efficient in the second set.
Jacksonville State scored the opening two points, but Sam Houston responded with a seven-point run.
The Bearkats produced 14 kills against two errors, hitting .444 in a 25–12 victory while holding the Gamecocks to five kills.
In her postmatch interview, Gray discussed communication and adjustments during the opening set, along with serving targets intended to disrupt Jacksonville State’s offense.
Monson also pointed to passing and blocking discipline as areas of emphasis.
Five straight points seal the sweep
Jacksonville State opened the third set with a 5–1 lead, but Sam Houston recovered to move ahead 15–9.
The Gamecocks later narrowed an 18–12 deficit to 18–15.
Kills by Monson and Wood restored a five-point advantage before Jacksonville State scored again to make it 20–16.
Sam Houston then won the final five points.
Rachelle Reed began the closing run with a kill assisted by White.
Faith Roulston followed with a kill from Pyle, and Butler added another.
Attack errors by Evans and D’Yanna Spicer supplied the final two points.
Audrey Terry served the last four rallies as the Bearkats completed the 25–16 finish.
Sam Houston hit .241 for the match and held Jacksonville State to .032.
Both teams finished with nine team blocks.
Evans led the Gamecocks with 12 kills Saturday, while Azavia Thomas added seven.
Jacksonville State finished the series 3–21 overall and 0–12 in conference play.
A higher finish remains within reach
The preseason coaches poll placed Sam Houston 10th with 17 points.
Middle Tennessee was tied for eighth with 18.
Both have moved beyond those predictions and enter their upcoming series with seven conference wins.
For Sam Houston, the trip to Murfreesboro offers a direct test against another team pursuing position near the top of the standings.
“We got to be better today than we were yesterday. And I thought we were,” Gray said after Saturday’s victory.
The Bearkats have secured their tournament place.
With Middle Tennessee next and WKU following at home, their remaining matches will determine how close they come to the top-three finish Gray set as a goal.
Sam Houston Swept at Liberty, but Record-Setting Saturday Battle Reveals Bearkats’ Resilience
By Cheval John | Vallano Media
This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
The final version was reviewed, edited and fact-checked by the author
Graphics created with AI-assisted design tools.
Visual concepts, editorial direction, composition, and final creative decisions were developed by Vallano Media.
Sam Houston’s volleyball team endured a difficult weekend against Liberty, suffering consecutive Conference USA defeats.
But Saturday’s four-set battle offered a different picture of the Bearkats than Friday’s straight-set loss.
Liberty swept Sam Houston 25–18, 28–26, 25–21 on Friday before holding off a determined comeback Saturday, 25–16, 27–25, 31–33, 26–24, at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The results dropped Sam Houston to 14–9 overall and 5–5 in Conference USA play.
Liberty improved to 14–8 and 6–4 in the conference.
Although the Flames completed the weekend sweep, Saturday’s contest featured 42 ties, 16 lead changes and a remarkable 33–31 third set that became the longest in Liberty Arena history, according to Liberty Athletics.
The two matches exposed both sides of Sam Houston’s season: difficulty protecting substantial leads and the determination to remain competitive when facing elimination.
Friday: A Seven-Point Lead Disappears
Friday’s straight-set loss was particularly frustrating because Sam Houston had an opportunity to change the direction of the match.
After dropping the opening set 25–18, the Bearkats established a 20–13 advantage in the second set.
Liberty responded with a sustained rally to erase the deficit.
Sam Houston still had opportunities to close out the set, holding set points at 24–23 and 25–24, but the Flames fought off both chances and eventually prevailed 28–26.
From its 20–13 advantage, Sam Houston was outscored 15–6.
Instead of entering the intermission tied at one set apiece, the Bearkats faced a two-set deficit.
Liberty completed the sweep with a 25–21 third-set victory.
The statistical difference was substantial.
Liberty hit .327 for the match compared with Sam Houston’s .115.
The Bearkats committed 24 attacking errors while recording 38 kills.
Chloe Monson, one of Sam Houston’s offensive contributors throughout the season, experienced a particularly difficult afternoon.
She finished with five kills and nine attacking errors on 29 attempts for a negative .138 hitting percentage.
Bella Wood led Sam Houston with 10 kills, followed by Chelsea Butler with eight and Annika Brooks with six.
Friday’s defeat illustrated how quickly an advantage can disappear when a team struggles to finish a set.
Saturday: Another Lead Lost, but a Different Response
The following afternoon initially appeared to be heading toward another straight-set defeat.
Liberty claimed the first set 25–16, with Sam Houston hitting just .054.
In the second set, the Bearkats again established a six-point advantage, leading 15–9.
But Liberty rallied.
Sam Houston eventually reached set point at 25–24 before the Flames scored three consecutive points to win 27–25.
For the second consecutive day, the Bearkats had surrendered a significant second-set advantage.
Trailing two sets to none, Sam Houston faced another opportunity to respond—or allow the match to end quickly.
This time, the Bearkats refused to go away.
A Historic Third Set
The third set developed into the defining stretch of the weekend.
Sam Houston built an early 15–9 lead, but Liberty recovered and eventually moved ahead 23–21.
During the broadcast, commentators expressed concern about Monson’s offensive struggles and questioned whether Sam Houston should continue directing attacks her way.
What followed demonstrated how quickly an individual performance can change during a tightly contested set.
Monson delivered five crucial kills after Liberty’s 23–21 advantage as the Bearkats battled through an extended series of set points.
Liberty repeatedly answered, and the Flames held two match points during the set.
Sam Houston survived both.
With the score tied at 31–31, Monson delivered another kill to give the Bearkats a 32–31 advantage.
Rachelle Reed followed with the set-winning kill, securing a 33–31 victory and forcing a fourth set.
According to Liberty Athletics, the 64-point set was the longest played in Liberty Arena history.
The performance also marked a significant response from Monson following Friday’s difficult outing.
She finished Saturday with a team-high 14 kills and 12 digs.
The Bearkats had not won the match, but they had extended it with one of the most competitive sets in the arena’s history.
A Fourth Set That Could Have Gone Either Way
The intensity continued into the fourth set.
Early in the frame, with Sam Houston leading 5–3, the Liberty broadcast described nervous energy inside the arena.
The commentators later observed that if Sam Houston forced a fifth set, the deciding frame could belong to either team.
That possibility remained realistic as the Bearkats continued challenging the Flames.
Liberty led 16–13 before Sam Houston scored four consecutive points to move ahead 17–16.
The Bearkats appeared to extend their lead to 18–16 when a Liberty attack was initially ruled out of bounds.
However, Liberty challenged the ruling, arguing that the ball had touched a Sam Houston player before going out.
Although the broadcast commentators considered the replay evidence inconclusive, officials overturned the original decision and awarded the point to Liberty, tying the set at 17–17.
The reversal represented a significant two-point swing in a closely contested set.
Nevertheless, Sam Houston continued competing.
The Bearkats repeatedly answered Liberty’s attacks, tying the score at 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.
When Jenna Otts delivered a kill to give Liberty a 24–23 advantage and match point, Sam Houston responded with a block involving Chelsea Butler and Faith Roulston to tie the score at 24–24.
The Flames finally secured the victory on consecutive kills from Addison Hart and Paige Overcash.
Liberty won the fourth set 26–24, ending a match that had become considerably more difficult than its two-set lead initially suggested.
Liberty’s Offensive Production Makes the Difference
Liberty’s victory was supported by strong performances from Otts and Overcash, who recorded 19 kills apiece.
Overcash hit .378, added 11 digs, five blocks and three service aces, and delivered the match-winning kill.
Otts hit .362.
The Flames finished with 64 kills compared with Sam Houston’s 62, but Liberty maintained advantages in several other statistical categories.
Liberty hit .284 compared with the Bearkats’.202, recorded 10 service aces to Sam Houston’s four, and finished with 12 blocks compared with eight for the visitors.
Sam Houston held a 73–72 advantage in digs.
Alongside Monson’s 14 kills, Wood and Kameron Rector contributed 13 each.
Butler added 12 kills and four blocks.
Shaelin White led all players with 26 digs, while Brenlin Garlitz recorded 28 assists and Lauren Pyle added 18.
The Bearkats produced more offense Saturday than they had Friday, improving from 38 kills to 62 and raising their hitting percentage from .115 to .202.
Yet Liberty’s greater efficiency and advantage at the service line helped the Flames complete the weekend sweep.
Six Matches Remain
The losses leave Sam Houston at .500 in Conference USA play with six regular-season matches remaining.
Liberty, meanwhile, moved to 6–4 in league competition and extended its all-time series advantage over Sam Houston to 6–0.
It remains too early to determine how the conference tournament race will unfold.
For the Bearkats, the immediate concern is translating Saturday’s competitive response into more consistent execution.
The weekend exposed recurring difficulties protecting leads.
Sam Houston surrendered a 20–13 advantage Friday and a 15–9 lead Saturday, both in the second set.
But Saturday also showed that the Bearkats could recover from adversity rather than allow earlier setbacks to determine the remainder of a match.
The 33–31 third set and the continued resistance following the fourth-set challenge provided evidence of a team still willing to compete.
Liberty earned its two victories, but Sam Houston made the Flames work considerably harder for the second.
With six matches remaining before the postseason, the question is whether the Bearkats can sustain that level of play long enough to turn competitive performances into victories.