HOUSTON – HBU bounced back from a first-set setback to defeat San Jose State, 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23), to go 3-0 for the weekend and claim the title at the Flo Hyman Collegiate Classic hosted by the University of Houston at the Athletics/Alumni Center.
"I am so proud of the resilience of this team," HBU head coach
Trent Herman said. "They have done a great job of working through illness and injuries. We got off to a slow start today, but the offense got going and the defense followed. Today was a full team effort, they played as a team to win this tournament."
Senior right side
Ashlee Vann led four players in double figures, hitting .333 with a career-high 18 kills, while adding five digs and three blocks for the Huskies (8-3), who have won five in a row and seven of their last eight. Junior middle blocker
Blair Gillard hit .524 with a season-high 14 kills and a couple of solo blocks, while junior outside hitter
Laura Fox hit .412 and recorded a career-high 10 kills and junior outside hitter
Bailey Banks, who made the all-tournament team, notched her fifth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 16 digs.
Senior setter
Kayla Armer was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, posting 55 assists, nine digs and a pair of kills against the Spartans (6-3). Senior outside hitter
Melissa Fuchs had eight kills and 15 digs, while junior libero
Hailey Erickson also made the all-tournament team with seven digs, matched by sophomore defensive specialist
Rachel Angeles.
Summer Avery led SJSU with 12 kills, while Nandyala Gama had 11 and nine blocks. Luiza Andrade led the Spartans defensively with 13 digs, and Hana Tresnakova had 11 digs to go along with her six kills. Breann Robinson handed out 37 assists and had four kills, five digs and six blocks.
The Huskies hit .241, while holding the Spartans to .139. HBU outdug SJSU, 60-44, but the Spartans held a 12-8 advantage in blocks.
HBU will return to action when it competes in the UT Arlington Invitational, facing New Mexico Friday at 1:30 p.m., followed by UT Arlington Saturday at noon, then Samford at 4:30 p.m.
