HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Houston Christian University (HCU) volleyball team heads to the Sam Houston Tournament this weekend, building on a successful 3-0 run at the Louisiana Tech Tournament. The Huskies will face sam Houston, ULM, adn Georgia State in a three-day stretch, aiming to continue their momentum as they prepare for Southland Conference play.
HCU enters the tournament wiht a 5-5 overall record, seeking to improve their standing against a challenging field. This weekend’s competition provides a crucial opportunity for the Huskies to refine their strategies and build team cohesion before entering conference matchups, where every win substantially impacts their postseason aspirations.
The Huskies open play Thursday night against host Sam Houston (6-4), who recently secured two victories at the Islanders Classic, including a five-set win over A&M-Corpus Christi. Chloe Monson leads the Bearkats’ offense with 172 kills, supported by Avery Fowler’s 317 assists.
Friday afternoon, HCU will face ULM (8-4), a team they previously defeated in straight sets.However, ULM has since added wins against Alcorn State and Lamar. Aniya Hall paces the Warhawks with 174 kills, while morgan Howard directs the offense with 261 assists and 30 aces.
HCU concludes the tournament Saturday against Georgia state (7-2), coming off a competition at the ACC/SBC Challenge against Florida State. Nazli Guvener leads the panthers with 93 kills,and Marta lazzarin anchors their defense with 178 digs.
Through ten matches, Allana Archie leads the Huskies with 81 kills, while Peyton Fadal has recorded 217 assists. Bianca Byerly has a team-high 15 service aces, and Anna Melgren leads the back row defense with 93 digs. HCU is currently hitting .173 as a team.
Following the Sam Houston Tournament, HCU will begin Southland Conference play on September 25th at Texas A&M-Commerce.
