HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Houston christian University (HCU) volleyball team battled to a five-set match against Sam Houston on Thursday, ultimately falling to the Bearkats 15-8 in the final set at Johnson Coliseum. HCU dropped the first two sets 25-14 and 25-19 before rallying to win the next two 25-20 and 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Sam Houston (7-4) established an early advantage in the first set, hitting .565 while holding HCU to .200, resulting in a 25-14 victory. The Bearkats continued their strong performance in the second set, winning 25-19.
HCU responded in the third set, hitting .382 to take a 25-20 win despite an early 5-4 deficit.The Huskies’ frontline,led by strong blocking from Archie and critical points from Euhus,fueled the comeback.
The fourth set was closely contested, with the score tied at 23-23 before HCU capitalized on Sam Houston errors and defensive stops to secure a 25-23 victory and force a fifth set. Peyton Fadal delivered 39 assists, orchestrating the HCU offense, while Bianca Byerly recorded 16 digs.
Sam Houston gained an early lead in the fifth set, building an 11-6 advantage and ultimately closing out the match 15-8.Chloe Monson led all players with 22 kills, and Lauren Malone added 16 for Sam Houston.
Despite the loss, HCU demonstrated resilience, out-blocking sam houston 11-8 and featuring three players – Joya Euhus, Peyton Redrow, and Bianca Bonner-Williams – with 11 kills each.The match was played in front of 440 fans.
HCU will continue play in the Sam Houston Tournament on Friday at 1 p.m. against ULM and on Saturday at 12 p.m. against Georgia State, both in Huntsville.
