TULSA, Okla. – For the second consecutive match, freshman outside hitter Amya Jennings touched double-digit kills for Bethune-Cookman as Sam Houston State held off a resilient Wildcats group by a 3-1 decision on the final day of the ORU Volleyball Classic at the Mabee Center on the campus of Oral Roberts. Sam Houston took the match on scores of 25-16, 25-27, 25-21 and 25-22.
 
After dropping the opening set, Bethune-Cookman (2-4) responded quickly in the second.
 
The Wildcats ran out to an early 7-3 lead behind kills from Mecca Freeman and Niara Hightower. Sam Houston (3-3) would battle back to knot the set at 18-all when McKenzie Morvant supplied a block and a kill alongside teammate Alyssa Fielder. The Cats' Jasmine Robinson placed a kill down the middle allowing B-CU to serve for the match at 24-23, before an attack error knotted the set once again, this time at 24-24.
 
A Hightower kill pushed B-CU back in front, followed by a Sam Houston kill off the swing of Lylah Washington to produce a 25-all deadlock.
 
Tiyanna Preston delivered a kill for the Cats, followed by a Hightower block – one of her match-high six on the afternoon, to give B-CU the 27-25 set victory in order to tie the match at one set apiece.
 
The third set saw Bethune-Cookman outperform the Bearkats in hitting percentage, as the Wildcats used three kills in the set from Freeman, as well as two from Amya Jennings, Ariel Simmons, Hightower and Robinson, respectively. But it would be a Washington kill that broke a 16-all deadlock in the frame for the Bearkats, allowing Fielder to take over down the stretch, as she accumulated seven kills in the set.
 
Sam Houston would take the 25-21 win in the end.
 
Sam Houston was led on the day by Fielder with a match-high 18 kills and six digs. Morvant recorded 14 kills for the Bearkats to go along with four blocks (three assisted).
 
For the Wildcats, Jennings finished with a team-high 10 kills and nine digs – falling just short of a potential second consecutive double-double. Robinson finished with nine kills of her own. Alisha Callender tallied a team-high 19 assists from the setter position, as well as nine digs.
 
B-CU returns to action Friday, Sept. 13, as the Cats travel to the Tiger Invitational hosted by Tennessee State in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
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