Box Score
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University volleyball team claimed a berth in the 2012 Southland Conference Tournament Thursday despite dropping a conference match to Sam Houston State in straight sets.
Southeastern struggled offensively, dropping the match, 25-10, 25-16, 25-13. The first-place Bearkats (17-9, 12-2 Southland) won their 12th-straight overall and 11th-consecutive conference match.
Southeastern (10-16, 5-11 Southland) remains tied with Nicholls State (10-17, 5-11 Southland) for seventh in the Southland after Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dropped the Lady Colonels Thursday in four sets. The Lady Lions, one of eight teams to make the conference tournament scheduled for Nov. 16-18 in Conway, Ark., return for the first time since the 2009 season.
With a tie in the standings the best Lamar (9-19, 2-13 Southland) can manage, the Lady Lions claim the final tournament spot based on the conference tie-breaking procedure. McNeese State (7-21, 1-14 Southland) was eliminated from postseason play last Saturday, after getting swept in straight sets by Lamar.
Deveney Wells-Gibson and reigning Southland offensive player of the week Kendall Cleveland led all players with 11 kills. Wells-Gibson recorded a double-double, posting 15 digs, and was one of three Sam Houston players with double-digit digs.
Courtney Donald (.316 attack percentage, two block assists) and
Shelby Devlin (four blocks assists) led the Lady Lions with six kills apiece.
Becky Bekelja dished out 18 assists while
Megan McMillin (11 digs) and
Morgan Todd (10 digs) posted the top defensive numbers for Southeastern.
The Lady Lions and Nicholls, conference-travel partners, face off against each other Nov. 10 in Hammond. Southeastern travels to A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday for their final conference road match of the season while Nicholls will be at Sam Houston State.
Sam Houston State def. Southeastern La 25-10,25-16,25-13
Southeastern La (10-16, SLC 5-11) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Donald, Courtney 6-0-2; Devlin, Shelby 6-0-4; Ramee, Elizabeth 2-0-1; Turk, Veronica 2-0-1; Rauch, Jessica 1-0-0; Grayson, Tamra 1-0-3; Shippy, Mikayla 1-0-0; Young, Lindsey 0-0-1; Bekelja, Becky 0-1-0; Buckner, Taylor 0-1-0;
Totals 19-2-6.0. (Assists) - Bekelja, Becky 18.
(Dig leaders) - McMillin, Megan 11; Todd, Morgan 10; Bekelja, Becky 8
Sam Houston State (17-9, SLC 12-2) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Cleveland, Kendall 11-0-0; Wells-Gibson, Devene 11-4-2; Hawkins, Kaylee 8-1-0; Black, Kim 5-2-3; Neisler, Haley 4-0-0; Gray, Tayler 0-3-1;
Totals 39-10-3.0. (Assists) - Gray, Tayler 34.
(Dig leaders) - Alfaro, Camille 17; Wells-Gibson, Devene 15; Hawkins, Kaylee 11
