ABILENE - Texas Woman's Josie Santos scored four of her match high 17.5 points late in the third set in leading her team to a 3-0 win over the Wildcats Tuesday night at Abilene Christian's Moody Coliseum.
The victory improved TWU's overall and Lone Star Conference records to 11-3 and 5-1, while ACU fell to 4-9 and 1-4.
The Wildcats appeared to be completely overwhelmed at the start in losing the first two sets by scores of 25-6 and 25-16, but hung with the Pioneers throughout the third game, during which there were seven ties and four lead changes.
After trailing by as many as three, ACU used a short rally to take a 23-22 lead with the final point coming on a
Corrie Reeder block, but then the ensuing serve hit the net and possession went back to the Pioneers.
TWU couldn't score off its serve, however, which gave the Wildcats their final lead at 24-23 following a kill by senior
Kalynne Allen.
But from there, the Pioneers put the game in the hands of their setter Hannah Marshall and Santos, the junior right-side attacker, and together they accounted for four of the final five points which gave TWU a final set, 27-25, victory.
Santos finished the match with 14 kills and four blocked shots, three of which were solo. Marshall was credited with 15 assists and split time at setter with Kayla Rivero, who tossed up 17 and helped her teammates produce a .255 attack percentage.
ACU's offense was led by Reeder and
Sara Oxford with seven kills apiece. Allen had six.
The Wildcats return to action this weekend with a pair of road matches at Incarnate Word and Texas A&M-Kingsville. ACU split last year's season series with both schools.
