Rising to a new level
The Sam Houston State Volleyball team has had an amazing year. But they aren't done yet, around the corner is the conference tournament where the girls look to take home a ring.
Mike Silva - Staff Reporter
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports
With just a week left until playoffs, the Sam Houston State volleyball team is in a position to be a top seed in the Southland Conference Tournament.
The Bearkats are currently tied for first place with Texas State for the Western Division Conference lead. Sam Houston looks to take a top seed and win the Western Division conference title, something the Bearkats have not accomplished since 1994.
The Sam Houston State volleyball team has come a long way from the beginning of the season and has grown into a solid team with athleticism and attitude. This talented group of both veterans and freshmen looks to win Sam Houston's first Southland Conference Post-Season Tournament championship since 1996.
"We need to continue to get better," Head Coach Brenda Gray said. "We need to make sure everyone's bringing their 'A' game. I've seen them all play at their best individually, but not at the same time. When they play at the top of their game in the same match, we're going to be scary."
The Schedule
The 2009 season began with the Comfort Suites SHSU Invitational at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats hosted Southern Utah, Texas Pan-American, Delaware State, and Louisiana Lafayette. Sam Houston won all four matches en route to winning the tournament and starting off the season 4-0.
SHSU then tailed off four straight road losses to drop them to .500 at 4-4. The Bearkats returned home to defeat Houston in a five-set match, one of their 10 five-set victories. The Bearkats then went on to lose five of their next six matches.
"Every great team hits road bumps," said Carli Kolbe, Sam Houston's leader in kills with 424 for the season. "You can either come back from it and act like nothing happened or you can let it end you. We're the type of team that refuses to lose, so we fought back."
After losing to conference foe Lamar, the Bearkats stood at 8-10 overall and 1-1 in the Southland Conference. A switch flipped in SHSU as the Bearkats journeyed to a historical win streak.
The Bearkats are currently tied for first place with Texas State for the Western Division Conference lead. Sam Houston looks to take a top seed and win the Western Division conference title, something the Bearkats have not accomplished since 1994.
The Sam Houston State volleyball team has come a long way from the beginning of the season and has grown into a solid team with athleticism and attitude. This talented group of both veterans and freshmen looks to win Sam Houston's first Southland Conference Post-Season Tournament championship since 1996.
"We need to continue to get better," Head Coach Brenda Gray said. "We need to make sure everyone's bringing their 'A' game. I've seen them all play at their best individually, but not at the same time. When they play at the top of their game in the same match, we're going to be scary."
The Schedule
The 2009 season began with the Comfort Suites SHSU Invitational at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats hosted Southern Utah, Texas Pan-American, Delaware State, and Louisiana Lafayette. Sam Houston won all four matches en route to winning the tournament and starting off the season 4-0.
SHSU then tailed off four straight road losses to drop them to .500 at 4-4. The Bearkats returned home to defeat Houston in a five-set match, one of their 10 five-set victories. The Bearkats then went on to lose five of their next six matches.
"Every great team hits road bumps," said Carli Kolbe, Sam Houston's leader in kills with 424 for the season. "You can either come back from it and act like nothing happened or you can let it end you. We're the type of team that refuses to lose, so we fought back."
After losing to conference foe Lamar, the Bearkats stood at 8-10 overall and 1-1 in the Southland Conference. A switch flipped in SHSU as the Bearkats journeyed to a historical win streak.
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