The Houston volleyball team is three victories away from its first SCA title in four years.
The Lady Tigers improved to 4-0 in conference play Thursday night with a 25-13, 26-24 victory against Thayer inside Hiett Gymnasium.
The Lady Tigers (12-8-1, 4-0) are the only undefeated team in conference play. They last won the SCA title in 2006 under former coach Debbie James.
Current coach Amy McNew, who was an assistant with that team, said she did not establish winning the conference title as a goal until a few weeks into the season. She didn’t want her team to feel any unnecessary pressure.
“I just want them to go out and enjoy the season and enjoy playing,” she said.
Houston raced ahead 7-1 in the opening set and after seeing its advantage disappear, scored 12 consecutive points to take a commanding 23-10 lead. Alexa Ichord had a pair of blocks during the rally, and Sarah Pierce and Tory Burgess had kills.
Lainey Casper gave Houston a 24-23 advantage in a back-and-forth second set with a nifty tip that landed untouched in the middle of the court. After Thayer scored the next point to make it 24-all, Pierce had consecutive kills to clinch the match.
On Tuesday, the Lady Tigers scored 15 of the match’s first 17 points and cruised past visiting West Plains 25-17, 25-20.
Pierce had a team-high nine kills. Erica Keeney added five kills, and Casper and Ichord had four apiece.
Tory Burgess had 13 assists and three of the team’s seven aces.
“I watched West Plains warm up and I told the team, “Guys, they don’t want to be here. Let’s jump on them right away,'” McNew said. “And we did.”
JUNIOR VARSITY: Desiree Venable had five kills in the JV Lady Tigers’ 25-21, 25-19 victory Tuesday against West Plains.
Kenzie Scheets had 14 assists and five of the team’s 12 aces. Demi Pittman had four kills, and Amber Sillyman had three aces.
