Saturday, October 1
Topeka, KS
9 a.m.
Abilene Christian
3
vs
2
Emporia State
Wildcats Stun #25 Emporia
10/1/2011 5:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
ACU/Emporia State Box Score | ACU/Truman State Box Score
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Abilene Christian volleyball team notched its first win of the season over a nationally ranked opponent, producing a 3-2 comeback victory over #25 Emporia State Saturday morning at the Ramada Inn Lady Blues Fall Classic on the campus of Washburn University.
The Wildcats lost the first set 25-8, but rebounded to win the second, 25-19. Then after dropping the third set, 25-23, rallied again to capture the final two frames by scores of 25-18 and 15-10.
Later in the day, however, the Wildcats lost to Truman in four sets: 25-23, 25-22, 26-24, 25-18. The split decision shifted ACU's overall record to 10-9 and tournament record to 2-2.
ACU hit .500against Emporia State in the decisive set which it led from start to finish. The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead with kills from Jennie Hutt and Neely Borger sandwiching a Caitlyn Murray attacking error and maintained that advantage until the very end when they scored four of final five points. Oxford added two more kills during the run to finish the match with 16, one shy of matching Hutt's game high of 17.
The Wildcats entered the final set riding the momentum of a fourth-set comeback, during which they scored eight of nine points following an 11-11 tie to go up 19-12. Half the points scored by ACU during this game-changing run were due to Hornet attacking errors. ESU finished the set with seven miscues and a .133 hitting percentage.
By comparison, the Wildcats hit .261 in the fourth as five players finished the set with three or more kills. In clinching the set, ACU received five points from four players in addition to benefiting from one additional attacking error.
ACU finished the match with a .230 hitting percentage and had four players with 10 or more kills. Following Hutt and Oxford in this category were Kalynne Allen and Neely Borger who contributed 12 and 10 kills, respectively.
Setter Haley Rhoads was credited with 60 assists and added 16 digs along with Allen. Senior Kelsie Edwards dug out 20 balls to lead the Wildcats.
Emporia State played error-free in the first set en route to a .667 hitting percentage, delivering 16 kills on 24 attempts, but couldn't match that effort in the second set, during which it was outhit .324 to .098. ACU's key rally came late as it scored four straight points in expanding a three-point lead (18-15) to seven (22-15). Prior to Oxford clinching the set with a kill, the Wildcats received two additional points from Hutt and a service ace from Rhoads.
ACU trailed by as many as six points in the third set before climbing back several times to get within one. Unfortunately, a pair of attacking errors by Hutt gave the win to Emporia State.
ACU matched up with Truman in every statistical category with the exception of service aces, in which the Bulldogs left the court with an11-0 advantage. Allie Brak and Meghan Zimmerman each had three while two more of their teammates served up a pair.
Brak won the first set on an ace following a kill from Bulldog Meghan Sharpe. But just prior the Wildcats had gone on a 5-0 run to tie the set at 23-23, receiving three points along the way from Allen who finished the match with 10 kills.
Hutt again led the Wildcats in the second match with 19 kills and hit a solid .372. Allen, Oxford and Borger also posted double-digit kill totals. Rhoades provided 52 assists, while five Wildcats had 10 or more digs with Edwards leading the pack with 17.
In ACU's second-set win, the Wildcats battled back from three six-point deficits before grabbing their first lead at 20-19. Points from Allen and Hutt pushed the ACU lead to two and then a pair of Truman errors opened the door for Oxford's set-clinching kill.
The Wildcats again started well in the third set and had built a five-point lead at one point, 13-8, but watched their lead slowly disappear as the Bulldogs scored seven of the next 10 points to tie it at 16-16. From there the set would encounter six more ties all the way through 24-24, which is where TSU won the last two points on a kill from Molly Sinclair and an ace from Zimmerman.
TSU ran away with the fourth and final set after going on a 5-0 run that broke an 8-8 tie. ACU would eventually get back into the set at 19-16, but just as quickly, the Bulldogs responded with a 7-2 run to end the match.
ACU returns to Lone Star Conference action next Thursday, Oct. 6 with a 7 p.m. match at Midwestern State.
2011 Ramada Inn Lady Blues Fall Classic All-Tournament Team
Brianna Lewis, Washburn - MVP
Chelsea Gibson, Angelo State
Nikki McNorton, Tarelton State
Jennie Hutt, Abilene Christian
Hillary Hughes, Washburn
Brittany Hanssen, UNO
Megan Sharpe, Truman
Krystal Wunderlich, Dallas Baptist
Britni Reed, Southwest Baptist
Alex Richardson, Central Oklahoma
Katie Deutschmann, Emporia State
#
TOPEKA, Kan. - The Abilene Christian volleyball team notched its first win of the season over a nationally ranked opponent, producing a 3-2 comeback victory over #25 Emporia State Saturday morning at the Ramada Inn Lady Blues Fall Classic on the campus of Washburn University.
The Wildcats lost the first set 25-8, but rebounded to win the second, 25-19. Then after dropping the third set, 25-23, rallied again to capture the final two frames by scores of 25-18 and 15-10.
Later in the day, however, the Wildcats lost to Truman in four sets: 25-23, 25-22, 26-24, 25-18. The split decision shifted ACU's overall record to 10-9 and tournament record to 2-2.
ACU hit .500against Emporia State in the decisive set which it led from start to finish. The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead with kills from Jennie Hutt and Neely Borger sandwiching a Caitlyn Murray attacking error and maintained that advantage until the very end when they scored four of final five points. Oxford added two more kills during the run to finish the match with 16, one shy of matching Hutt's game high of 17.
The Wildcats entered the final set riding the momentum of a fourth-set comeback, during which they scored eight of nine points following an 11-11 tie to go up 19-12. Half the points scored by ACU during this game-changing run were due to Hornet attacking errors. ESU finished the set with seven miscues and a .133 hitting percentage.
By comparison, the Wildcats hit .261 in the fourth as five players finished the set with three or more kills. In clinching the set, ACU received five points from four players in addition to benefiting from one additional attacking error.
ACU finished the match with a .230 hitting percentage and had four players with 10 or more kills. Following Hutt and Oxford in this category were Kalynne Allen and Neely Borger who contributed 12 and 10 kills, respectively.
Setter Haley Rhoads was credited with 60 assists and added 16 digs along with Allen. Senior Kelsie Edwards dug out 20 balls to lead the Wildcats.
Emporia State played error-free in the first set en route to a .667 hitting percentage, delivering 16 kills on 24 attempts, but couldn't match that effort in the second set, during which it was outhit .324 to .098. ACU's key rally came late as it scored four straight points in expanding a three-point lead (18-15) to seven (22-15). Prior to Oxford clinching the set with a kill, the Wildcats received two additional points from Hutt and a service ace from Rhoads.
ACU trailed by as many as six points in the third set before climbing back several times to get within one. Unfortunately, a pair of attacking errors by Hutt gave the win to Emporia State.
ACU matched up with Truman in every statistical category with the exception of service aces, in which the Bulldogs left the court with an11-0 advantage. Allie Brak and Meghan Zimmerman each had three while two more of their teammates served up a pair.
Brak won the first set on an ace following a kill from Bulldog Meghan Sharpe. But just prior the Wildcats had gone on a 5-0 run to tie the set at 23-23, receiving three points along the way from Allen who finished the match with 10 kills.
Hutt again led the Wildcats in the second match with 19 kills and hit a solid .372. Allen, Oxford and Borger also posted double-digit kill totals. Rhoades provided 52 assists, while five Wildcats had 10 or more digs with Edwards leading the pack with 17.
In ACU's second-set win, the Wildcats battled back from three six-point deficits before grabbing their first lead at 20-19. Points from Allen and Hutt pushed the ACU lead to two and then a pair of Truman errors opened the door for Oxford's set-clinching kill.
The Wildcats again started well in the third set and had built a five-point lead at one point, 13-8, but watched their lead slowly disappear as the Bulldogs scored seven of the next 10 points to tie it at 16-16. From there the set would encounter six more ties all the way through 24-24, which is where TSU won the last two points on a kill from Molly Sinclair and an ace from Zimmerman.
TSU ran away with the fourth and final set after going on a 5-0 run that broke an 8-8 tie. ACU would eventually get back into the set at 19-16, but just as quickly, the Bulldogs responded with a 7-2 run to end the match.
ACU returns to Lone Star Conference action next Thursday, Oct. 6 with a 7 p.m. match at Midwestern State.
2011 Ramada Inn Lady Blues Fall Classic All-Tournament Team
Brianna Lewis, Washburn - MVP
Chelsea Gibson, Angelo State
Nikki McNorton, Tarelton State
Jennie Hutt, Abilene Christian
Hillary Hughes, Washburn
Brittany Hanssen, UNO
Megan Sharpe, Truman
Krystal Wunderlich, Dallas Baptist
Britni Reed, Southwest Baptist
Alex Richardson, Central Oklahoma
Katie Deutschmann, Emporia State
#
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