Box Score

Postmatch Interview with Victoria Weatherly

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist hit .330 for the match and used a balanced attack as five players at least six kills as the Huskies blanked Chicago State, 3-0 (25-10, 25-15, 25-23), in Great West Conference volleyball to sweep the season series Thursday night at Sharp Gym.
 
Junior middle blocker Caiti Wenger led the way for the Huskies (13-10, 3-1 GWC), hitting .478 with 13 kills and a pair of aces. Senior outside hitter Heather Leaverton had eight kills and 11 digs, while sophomore outside hitters Jasmine Casey and Bailey Keith and sophomore middle blocker Madeline Gaffney each had six kills for HBU. Senior setter Victoria Weatherly had 32 assists and nine digs, while sophomore libero Esther Longoria paced the Huskies defensively with 13 digs.
 
Sydney Van Munster had eight kills, while Paula Sioto had seven kills, 13 assists and six digs for Chicago State (2-20, 0-3). Alyssa Podwell had six kills, and Mia and Mysta Townsell each had nine digs.
 
HBU limited Chicago State to a .189 hitting percentage for the match. The Huskies outdug the Cougars, 46-38, and held an 8-1 advantage in aces.
 
The Huskies led 5-3 early in the first set, then scored six-straight points on three kills by Wenger and back-to-back kills by Leaverton to go up by eight. HBU led, 18-9, then scored seven of the last eight points, including the last five, for a 25-10 decision. Wenger had seven kills in the set without an error.
 
HBU once again led 5-3 in the second, then scored four-straight to take a 9-3 lead. Casey had a kill and back-to-back aces to put the Huskies ahead, 12-5. Leading 18-13, HBU scored four in a row, then closed out the set on a kill and an ace by Wenger to claim the set, 25-15, and go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Casey sat during the third set, which was tightly contested the whole way. Chicago State jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but HBU scored the next four take a one-point lead. Neither team would go ahead by more than a point until the Cougars led 18-17. HBU then scored six-straight points to lead 23-19, but Chicago State answered by scoring four in a row to cut the deficit to one. Keith ended the match with the Huskies' last two kills as they held on for a 25-23 margin.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host future Southland Conference opponent New Orleans Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sharp Gym.