Box Score
ABILENE – Behind a career high 32 kills from senior
Jennie Hutt, the Abilene Christian women's volleyball team outlasted Incarnate Word in a five-set thriller Tuesday night at Moody Coliseum.
The 3-2 victory (25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 26-28, 18-16) was ACU's second in as many games vs. the Lone Star Conference and lifted its overall record to 6-4 and league mark to 2-0. The loss dropped Incarnate Word's record to 4-6 and 1-3 within the LSC.
ACU head coach Kellen Mock said this win was important in terms of overall confidence.
“We had recently struggled through similar scenarios in which we weren't able to finish and put the hammer down on our opponents,” she said, “but we came out on top in tonight's battle and I think this win will give our confidence a boost heading into the future.”
Hutt was on fire from the start in the Wildcats' home opener, registering 10 kills on 15 attempts (.667 hitting percentage) in the first set, and then put the second set to rest with a kill coming off the bench. She again played flawlessly in the third and fifth sets, collecting 15 additional kills with no errors.
The native Nebraskan put ACU up 2-0 early in the decisive set, but after the Cardinals flipped a four-point deficit (7-3) into a two-point lead (12-10), Hutt made a timely strike that narrowed the gap to one and five points later tied it at 14-14.
From there the set would be deadlocked twice more at 15-15 and 16-16, but Incarnate Word's Stephanie Bonura committed an attacking error to give ACU its final advantage, and on the following point sophomore
Madelyn Robinett delivered the match winner off an assist from
Caley Johnson.
Johnson split time at the setter position with freshman
Haley Rhoads but still came through with 49 assists –
two shy of her personal best. Rhoads dished out 16 assists and
Kelsie Edwards led all players with 28 digs.
In addition to her 32 kills, Hutt also contributed a .424 hitting percentage, nine digs, a block and two assists.
Mock said she appreciates everything Hutt brings to the court and is especially pleased with how she's embraced her role as a team leader.
“Jennie is a wonderful young woman and it's hard sometimes to express how proud I am of her,” she said. “Emotionally and physically, she has given everything she can to this team as one of its leaders. I see her as our most intense player who possesses an unmatched spark that just doesn't want to burn out.”
Robinett with 11 kills was one of four Wildcats along with Hutt to register a double-digit kill total.
Kalynne Allen also chipped in 11, including the point that tied set five at 15-15, while
Sara Oxford contributed 12.
Incarnate Word, led by Bonura's 16 kills, posted a .196 hitting percentage but outblocked the Wildcats, 14-7. Danielle Vidaurri was credited with three solo blocks and a game-best five block assists.
ACU returns to the road this weekend with conference matches slated for Thursday night at A&M-Commerce and Saturday afternoon at Texas Woman's University.
The Wildcats rematch with Incarnate Word will take place a week from tonight (Sept. 20) in San Antonio at 7 p.m.
