Oxford's 17 Points Give Wildcats 3-0 Win Over Eastern New Mexico

ABILENE - The Abilene Christian volleyball team's domination over Eastern New Mexico continued Friday night at Moody Coliseum, where the Wildcats swept the Zias, 3-0, behind scores of 25-19, 25-23, 25-19. Sophomore Sara Oxford led all players with 14 kills and 17 points as ACU produced a season-high .400 attacking percentage (47-7-100).

The victory lifted ACU's season and conference marks to 8-12 and 4-6, while the Zias dropped to 6-13 and 1-8. Since taking over the program in 2006, ACU head coach Kellen Mock is a perfect 10-0 all-time vs. Eastern New Mexico.

In addition to Oxford's fantastic night, which included three blocks, the Wildcats also received 10 kills and a .391 attacking percentage from Jennie Loerch and an 8-for-11, four-block performance from senior Kalynne Allen. The Wildcats out-blocked the Zias, 7-0, in pitching their fourth shutout of the year and second during this five-match homestand.

Sophomore setter Sarah Siemens set the offense in motion and finished with 36 assists, and Madison Hoover had the most digs with 15. 

ACU used a 3-0 run midway through the first set to pull slightly ahead at 15-11, but couldn't put the Zias away until the very end where three straight errors pushed the Wildcat lead to 24-17. Eastern made it a little more interesting by winning the next two points and pulling within five, but Siemens found Allen for the kill on the follow-up possession. 

The second set was a see-saw battle from start to finish and saw 11 ties and six lead changes. Eastern grabbed its last lead at 22-21 following a Hoover service error, but Oxford responded with a kill to the tie the score again at 22-22, and then on the following rally, Kennedi Catano was called for a bad set. From there, Loerch hammered home a kill off an assist from Corrie Reeder and Oxford clinched it two plays later with a point from Eastern's Lindsey Barron sandwiched in between.

Barron led her club with 12 kills, and Kaitlyn Maddams had 11.  

After being down by as many as four points early in the third set, the Zias got within one of the Wildcats at 17-16, before ACU pulled away for good by winning five of the next six points and taking a 22-17 lead. Loerch brought ACU to match point with her final kill of the evening, and then Barron committed her fifth attack error to end it.

The Wildcats return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. vs. nationally ranked West Texas A&M. Hot dogs and all tickets to the match will be priced at $1.