Grant Sides | SHSU Athletics
As the Conference USA volleyball season approaches, Sam Houston’s newcomers are still getting used to the playing style of their new team. For the freshman, this adjustment period also involves an introduction to the intensity and pace of play associated with collegiate volleyball.
SHSU’s newcomers have spoken positively about this year’s team, noting how they were immediately accepted as soon as they stepped foot in Johnson Coliseum.
Lauren Malone, a redshirt senior who joined the Bearkats from Coastal Carolina, discussed how the transition from playing for the Chanticleers to now being a Bearkat has been.
“I’m new here, but at the same time, I feel like I’m not new here,” Malone said. “Everybody has each other’s backs. It means a lot that I’ve been welcomed to the team and treated right away, like their guy.”
Another new player who has been impactful in the team’s success is freshman defensive specialist/libero Avery Pruitt, who came to SHSU from Fulshear High School, located roughly 30 miles west of downtown Houston.
As for the biggest difference she has seen between high school and collegiate volleyball, Pruitt pointed to “the speed of the game and how practices are spread out, as well as the treatment everyone gives.” She also added that the conditioning is different between the two levels.
Pruitt has mainly contributed on the defensive side of the ball with 18 digs (seventh on the team) and seven service aces (third on the team), while Malone has been a vital part of the Bearkat’s offense with 87 kills (second on the team) and nine blocks (fifth on the team).
Malone discussed what it meant for her to be trusted by head coach Brenda Gray in pressure-filled situations.
“If coach gives me this role, I’m going to give it my all, because that’s what I’m here to do,” Malone said.