Houston women’s volleyball kept rolling with another clean sweep, taking down Lamar University 3-0 and picking up its fourth sweep of the season.
The Cougars got a balanced lift, but junior outside hitter Sydney Jones set the pace with 11 kills. Senior middle blocker Alexis Roberson was a force in the middle, finishing with a team-best .667 hitting percentage and four blocks. Junior outside hitter Kamille Gibson added eight kills of her own.
Houston didn’t exactly blow Lamar off the floor from the opening whistle, but once the Cougars settled in, the gap widened fast. Each set started with some pushback from the Cardinals before Houston found another gear and pulled away.
In the first set, Houston held a 17-14 edge before ripping off a six-point run to put the set out of reach. The second set followed a similar script. The Cougars trailed 9-6 early, then controlled the rest of the frame and outscored Lamar 19-8 the rest of the way.
The sweep was sealed in the third set with an 8-2 surge over the final 10 rallies. After a kill from sophomore middle blocker Tara Greenberry, Lamar handed Houston three attack errors across the next five points. Sophomore libero Gillian Pitts then served up back-to-back aces to close the door, and sophomore outside hitter Noemi Despaigne finished things off with her seventh kill.
Lamar finished with just 25 kills as a team, the same number of errors it committed. Junior middle blocker Nisaan Martinez led the Cardinals with 10 kills, while senior outside hitter Grace Hill added nine. No other Lamar player had more than two kills.
Houston now heads to Nassau, Bahamas, for the Paradise Invitational from Sept. 12-13.
The Cougars open against No. 14 Purdue at 10:30 a.m. on the first day.
No. 3 Kentucky and No.
8 SMU are also scheduled to meet that day. The winners will square off in the championship match at 4 p.m. the next day, while the losers will play in the consolation match at noon.
In Other News...
Sam Leavitt Faces An Early Big 12 Test Arizona State Fans Should Track
Week 1 offered only a partial read on the Big 12 quarterback picture, because most of the leagues passers got warm-up assignments against lighter opponents. A few still had to deal with real resistance right away, including Floridas DJ Lagway and UCFs Barnett, but for the most part the opening weekend was more about getting into rhythm than surviving a true test. For Houston fans keeping an eye on the league around them, it was a useful reminder that early box scores can flatter a lot of offenses.
Week 2 should sharpen the picture quickly, with several quarterbacks stepping into tougher matchups and defenses that can expose shaky protection or rushed decision-making. Sam Leavitt is one of the names to watch, because Arizona States early schedule puts him in a spot where the evaluation gets more serious in a hurry. For teams trying to map out the Big 12 race, these next games are where the conversation starts to mean something. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Finally Gets A Needed Answer On Stephon Johnson
Houston finally has one of its lingering early-season roster questions answered, and it lands at a good time with Southern coming to town in Week 2. Wide receiver Stephon Johnson has been cleared to play after a temporary restraining order and final approval from both the programs compliance office and the NCAA, giving Willie Fritz another option as the Cougars keep sorting out their lineup in the opening stretch of the season.
Willie Fritz also said Johnson will be available for the upcoming game, which at least stabilizes one part of the picture for Houston. The next issue, though, is still hanging in the air, since transfer safety Myles Rowser remains unresolved and appears unlikely to be eligible this week, leaving the Cougars waiting on one more key answer as they prepare for their next matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Kelvin Sampson Just Gave Houston Fans Real Reason To Dream Again
Houston spent a recruiting weekend building something it can point to well beyond the current season, landing commitments from point guard Darrell Davis and forward Beau Daniels. Both prospects give Kelvin Sampson and his staff an early start on the 2027 class, and Davis, ranked No. 31 overall, brings a lead-guard profile that fits the way Houston likes to play. Daniels, ranked No. 58, adds another high-level piece to a group that already has four-star guard Oneal Delancy in the fold.
For a program that has turned sustained roster construction into a calling card, getting that kind of early traction matters. It gives Houston an initial core to sell on the trail and another reminder that the Cougars are not waiting around to think ahead. The class is still taking shape, but the early outline is already the kind that can keep fans looking forward. [Read more 🡒]