The Sam Houston State volleyball team (16-12) split the final two regular season games this past weekend against McNeese State and Lamar. The road swing geared the Bearkats for the Southland Conference tournament this Friday, in which SHSU earned a No. 2 seed.
Last Friday, the Kats faced McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana.McNeese avenged their loss to SHSU earlier in the season with a five-game victory. The Cowgirls came out strong, winning the first game 30-16.The Kats re-grouped and won the following two games 30-20 and 30-26 to take a 2-1 lead. The Cowgirls knotted the count at 2-2 with a 30-26 win. In the decisive fifth game, the two teams fought a heated battle with 12 ties and four lead changes.
McNeese took a 15-14 lead and on the ensuing possession, the Kats received a net violation, resulting in a point for McNeese and a loss for Sam Houston.
The team’s final regular season game was Saturday in Beaumont versus Lamar (8-19). The Kats took a two game lead early, posting scores of 30-14 and 30-26. Lamar rebounded in the third game to win 30-26. However, the Cardinals could not stop the Kats’ onslaught and fell in the fourth game 30-24, resulting in a win for SHSU in the final regular season game. Alisha Fowler led the Kats, posting a game high 20 kills while hitting .324.Defensively, Jennifer Henrichsen tallied a game high 26 digs.
The Kats will next face seventh-seeded Louisiana Monroe (15-15) in the first round of the SLC tournament.