Houston volleyball sweeps Lamar, turns attention to Paradise Invitational

Sophomore defensive specialist Gillian Pitts came off the bench in Houston’s second set and quickly racked up back-to-back service aces against Lamar, helping the Cougars extend their lead.

In the third set, she once again made an impact from the service line, recording two more aces to finish with a career-high four as Houston defeated the Cardinals 25-16, 25-17, 25-15 on Tuesday.

“That’s another tool we have that we can use in the future,” coach David Rehr said.

Junior outside hitter Noemi Despaigne also contributed off the bench in her return from an illness that caused her to miss the previous three matches, recording seven kills and four digs. She was one of five Cougars to record an ace, while winless Lamar had only two throughout the match.

Houston closed out the first set on an 8-2 run, with junior outside hitter Sydney Jones contributing three of her 11 kills during the stretch. The Cougars carried that momentum throughout the match, never trailing by more than three points on their way to their fourth sweep of the season.

Next, the Cougars will compete in the Paradise Invitational, where they will face Purdue, Kentucky and SMU, all of whom are ranked in the top 15.

“We have played our little tournaments, and I feel like it’s time to show people we can be a part of the big ones too,”  junior outside hitter Kamille Gibson said.

Houston will depart for the Bahamas on Thursday in preparation for its Sept. 12 matchup against Purdue at 10:30 a.m. The Cougars will then face either Kentucky or SMU on Sunday.