| Junior Stefanie Robbins posted 15 kills and nine block assists on Saturday. |
HUNTSVILLE ? Junior Stefanie Robbins registered 15 kills and sophomore Kendra Rowland posted her 11th double-double of the season, but Sam Houston State rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 19-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-13 victory over UTSA on Saturday afternoon at Johnson Coliseum.
The Roadrunners, which saw their 10-match winning streak Friday night, dropped to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in Southland Conference play, while the Bearkats moved to 8-13 and 3-2.
Robbins put down 15 winners on 32 swings and hit .312 for the match, while Rowland recorded 13 kills and 16 digs to go along with six block assists. Freshman Amber Brooks turned in a match-high 45 assists, while freshman Kelsey Jewasko dug a team-high 18 balls. UTSA posted 16.5 blocks for the match, with Robbins leading the way with nine block assists, just two shy of the school’s single-match record.
Rowland registered five of her kills in the opening frame, a 25-19 victory. UTSA broke a 7-7 tie with a 7-2 run early on, but the Bearkats fought back to within 21-18 late on an ace by Anna Ferguson. UTSA responded with a 6-1 stretch, putting the game away on a kill by sophomore Valorie Rogers.
UTSA again broke a 7-7 tie, this time in the second set, using a 6-2 run capped by a Brooks winner for a 13-9 advantage. The Roadrunners pushed their lead to 17-13 on the second of back-to-back aces by Jewasko, but Sam Houston rallied to take a 19-17 lead on a UTSA attack error. Service errors by both teams led to a 22-21 lead for UTSA, which finished off the Bearkats, 25-22, behind a pair of attack errors and a Rowland kill.
Sam Houston stormed out to a 7-2 lead early in the third set. UTSA fought back with a 14-2 run for a 16-9 advantage and eventually led 21-17 before the Bearkats rallied behind a switch in setters. Carli Kolbe had two of her three service aces down the stretch to key an 8-1 stretch that gave Sam Houston a 25-22 decision.
The Bearkats led for much of game four after an early 4-4 tie and forced a fifth set.
UTSA got to eight first, taking advantage of back-to-back attack errors by the Bearkats for an 8-6 lead as the teams switched benches. Sam Houston reeled off five unanswered only to have the Roadrunners claw back to knot the game at 11-11. A Katie Phillips winner gave the Bearkats a 13-12 lead, and they held on for the win on a kill from Haley Thomas for the 15-13 victory.
Thomas led three Bearkats in double figures with 15 kills, while Anna Ferguson and Phillips added 12 and 11, respectively. Megan McNamara came off the bench and posted 36 assists, while Shamira Washington registered a match-high 20 digs. Sam Houston blocked 15 balls, led by 10 block assists from Ferguson, and also served 11 aces.
The Roadrunners return to action next Wednesday, Oct. 15, when they travel to Lake Charles, La., to face McNeese State.