TOPEKA, Kan. – ACU volleyball extended their winning streak to 11 games Friday by sweeping Southwest Baptist, 3-0 and taking a 3-1 win over Nebraska-Omaha in the opening day of the Lady Blues Fall Classic.
The Wildcats opened a dominating match with the Bearcats taking set one 25-16. SBU would push the Wildcats in the next two sets just to come up short 25-20 and 25-21 in the first match of the day.
A trio of Wildcats produced one of their better offensive games of the season as
Shawna Hines and
Neely Borger both hit over .400 recording nine and seven kills respectively. IJ Moronu joined them to hit over .400 as well at .556 adding 26 assists.
Junior
Jennie Hutt recorded a double-double for ACU with 10 kills and 10 digs.
ACU held strong defensively as well holding SBU to .032 hitting percentage and forcing 25 errors in the win.
In the afternoon match the Wildcats picked up revenge on the Mavericks from an early season loss a year ago in Omaha. ACU took the first two sets 25-19 and 25-18 before dropping the third set 27-25 after an 8-3 run fell just short. However the Wildcats would take over the fourth set blowing out UNO 25-9.
Moronu finished off an outstanding first round hitting a season high .600 as well as coming just two assists shy of her season high with 45. She did finish with a double-double after narrowly missing one in the morning match by adding 16 digs to her line.
The Wildcats had three more players' record double-doubles in the afternoon match with
Kalynne Allen,
Jordan Schilling and Hutt putting up the double digits. Allen finished with 10 kills and 10 digs while Schilling and Hutt added 11 kills apiece and 15 and 13 digs each.
ACU had two rallies in the fourth game of nine and five as they blew out the Mavericks to close out a dominating first round of tournament play. Offensively the Wildcats hit .284 and over .400 in the first and last sets.
The wins move ACU to 12-2 on the season as they return to the court Saturday morning at 9 a.m. to open with Emporia State. ACU will finish out the tournament with an afternoon match with Truman State at 3 a.m.
