“Think Gold” has been the Sam Houston State Women’s Volleyball motto since the beginning of their 2015 season.
Since the start, SHSU has been the team to beat in their conference.
With three wins and only one loss, these Bearkats have set their standards very high.
The team had a huge comeback against Northwestern State and came out strong and swept Nicholls 3-0.
“What helped us play Nicholls is just keeping our final goal in mind and that is winning a championship,” said Junior Shelby Genung. “We know we have to take it one game at a time.”
Genung is from Sugar Land, Texas and has contributed to her team’s development since her freshmen year.
With it still being early in the season, Genung has already racked up 87 kills, 86 digs and 34 blocks.
Looking back on her freshmen year, she has explained how much her experience has helped her become a more affective player.
“I think just playing at the level we do and the opponents we get to face has made me become a stronger and smarter player,” Genung said.
The junior also gives credit to her coach, Brenda Gray, and how she has made a powerful impact on her team.
“Coach Gray focuses a lot on fundamentals which has helped me tremendously in becoming a better all-around player,” Genung said.
At the start of last week, SHSU had two wins under their belt against Northwestern State and brought the same momentum against Nicholls.
Unfortunately, the Bearkats could not keep their 3-0 streak after they fell to McNeese 3-2 on Saturday. This was SHSU’s first conference loss.
Coming off a long week, Genung reflects off of her team’s first loss and recognizes some of the things they could have done to prevent it. The junior emphasizes on the need to “play their game.”
Finishing their chances seemed to be the biggest error for SHSU.
The Bearkats had 188 attempts while McNeese only produced 153.
Yet, the Bearkats had almost double the errors compared to the Cowgirls.
Although it was a tough matchup for SHSU, some players were able to make a name for themselves on the court.
Freshman Madison Wallace made a recognizable 19 kills while sophomore Brooke White was right behind her with 18.
With two games on the road this week, Sam Houston State will take on Incarnate Word on Thursday and Abilene Christian on Saturday.