Box Score

Postmatch Interview with Caiti Wenger

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist junior middle blocker Caiti Wenger had 16 kills and seven blocks as the Huskies turned away Stephen F. Austin, 3-1 (25-21, 29-27, 23-25, 25-19), in a tightly contested matchup between future Southland Conference rivals Tuesday night at Sharp Gym.
 
Wenger hit .469, committing just one error on 32 attempts for the Huskies (15-10). Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Casey added 15 kills and 24 digs, her ninth double-double and sixth match with 20-plus digs. Senior outside hitter Heather Leaverton recorded her team-leading 12^th double-double with 10 kills and 19 digs, while senior setter Victoria Weatherly registered her 11^th with 55 assists, 12 digs and four blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Madeline Gaffney hit .435 with 12 kills and four blocks, and sophomore outside hitter Bailey Keith had eight kills and four blocks. Sophomore defensive specialist Haley Hoffman had 16 digs, and sophomore libero Esther Longoria had 10.
 
Tori Bates led SFA (15-8) with 18 kills, 12 digs and five blocks, while Jill Ivy had 12 kills and three blocks. Sabrina Burns had 11 kills and four blocks, and Paige Holland had 38 assists and 10 digs. Madison Hanlan led the Ladyjacks defensively with 24 digs, while OJ Olsen pitched in with 18.
 
HBU hit .207 as a team for the match, while SFA hit .157. The Huskies outdug the Ladyjacks, 88-79, and outblocked them, 11-10. The Huskies' 11 blocks tied their season high and is only their third double-digit block match of the season.
 
The Huskies scored the first three points of the match, but the Ladyjacks answered quickly tie the set at 4-4. HBU held a 9-8 lead, then scored five-straight points to go up 14-8. HBU extended its lead to 20-12, but SFA rebounded to score six in a row to get within two, then cut the deficit to one at 21-20. The Huskies scored back-to-back points and after a sideout by the Ladyjacks, Wenger and Leaverton put the set away with kills for a 25-21 win. Wenger had six kills and no errors in the first, while Leaverton added four for HBU. Bates had three kills for SFA.
 
In the second set, HBU scored six-straight points to take a 12-3 lead. The Huskies looked as if they were going to cruise into the break up 23-16, but the Ladyjacks caught fire and scored six in a row to get back within one. HBU finally sided out to get to set point, but SFA got back-to-back kills from Ivy to tie it at 24. The Huskies never trailed as they teams traded points, then kills by Casey and Leaverton finally gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the match with a 29-27 decision. Casey had six kills and 10 digs in the set, while Wenger and Leaverton had four kills each in the frame for HBU. Ivy had eight kills and Bates had six for SFA.
 
HBU scored the first five points of the third set, which included a pair of kills by Casey, but back-to-back aces by Burns sparked a five-point run for SFA which tied the set. The Huskies lead 14-12, but the Ladyjacks scored seven in a row, getting three kills each from Burns and Bates, to take a 19-14 lead. SFA led 22-16 when HBU turned the tables and scored six in a row, highlighted by four blocks by Wenger and company, to tie the set, 22-22. The Ladyjacks sided out and were able to hang on by a score of 25-23 to extend the match. Gaffney and Keith led the Huskies with three kills each, Bates had five kills and Burns four for the Ladyjacks.
 
The Huskies scored five-straight points to lead 6-1 in the fourth. After the Ladyjacks got to within three at 8-5, HBU scored three in a row and SFA would get no closer than four the rest of the way. The Huskies led 18-11 after three-straight points and led by as many as eight as late as 21-13, before closing out the match, 25-19. Casey had six kills with no errors, while Wenger and Gaffney had four kills each for the Huskies, while Burns and Bates had four kills apiece for the Ladyjacks.
 
The Huskies went 5-1 against their future Southland Conference foes this year. HBU plays its last four matches in Great West Conference play, beginning with a road trip to face Texas-Pan American Saturday at 2 p.m. in Edinburg.