HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Deveney Wells-Gibson recorded 24 kills on .388 hitting to help the Sam Houston State Bearkats secure a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-20) win over the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi volleyball team today in Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. The Islanders out-blocked Sam Houston State (15-9, 8-3 SLC) 8-5 but were unable to spoil the Bearkats' 9-0 home record.
Senior Brianna Brink led the Islanders (15-14, 8-4 SLC) with nine kills and freshman Kristyn Nicholson ran the floor with 23 assists and five digs. Ivy Baresh, Kate Klepetka and Hailey King each chipped in 12 digs for the defense, who racked up 52 digs. Freshman Brittany Gilpin propelled the Islanders at the net with four block assists while Kelsee Felux and Baresh each posted three each.
SHSU took control early in the first set with a 10-6 lead. The Islanders rallied back to stay within two until the Bearkats built a 22-16 lead on a 6-2 run. After an Islanders' timeout, SHSU scored two straight with a block and kill before a service error made it a 24-17 lead for the Bearkats. SHSU capped off the first set with a kill by Wells-Gibson to win 25-17. The Islanders hit .267 in the set while SHSU hit a set-high .484.
The Islanders bounced back in the second set to open with an early 8-5 lead. After a timeout by the Bearkats, the Islanders maintained their lead before SHSU rallied back to knot the set at 9-9. A&M - Corpus Christi garnered the lead back on a 4-1 run to take 13-10 lead. During the run, Felux posted a solo block and teamed up with Brink for the block assist. The Bearkats then scored three straight to even the set at 13-13, before Baresh tipped it over for the kill. After an Islanders' service error tied the set at 14-14, SHSU put together a 4-1 run to push back in front at 18-15. The Islanders struck back with a mini 3-0 run to tie the set at 18-18. From there both teams went neck-and-neck before the Bearkats scored four straight to win 25-21. SHSU hit .200 in the set and held the Islanders to .098 hitting.
In the third set, the Islanders fell behind 11-5 before trimming the deficit to one at 12-11 after Ashley Phelps and Gilpin teamed up for the block assist and Kirstee McGarva added a kill. The Islanders kept chopping away at the Bearkats' lead and eventually tied the set at 13-13 after another kill by McGarva. From there both teams rallied back and forth with three more ties, before the Bearkats took the lead for good at 18-17 and finished the set on an 8-3 run to win 25-20.
The Islanders will look to bounce back on the road when they take on Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas. First up is a match against the Huskies on Tuesday, Nov. 4 in Houston.
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