ABILENE - It took Abilene Christian volleyball all of 83 minutes to vanquish the Nicholls Colonels in efficient fashion Thursday night at Moody Coliseum as the Wildcats won by scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-18.
The victory lifted ACU's overall record to 11-19 and gave the Wildcats their highest conference win total (10-5) since joining the Southland Conference in 2013. The Colonels, meanwhile, finished their year at 8-24 and 3-13.
ACU's win also moved them a game ahead of Sam Houston State for third place in the Southland Conference standings. The Bearkats lost at Central Arkansas tonight, 3-1.
Key tonight in the Wildcats' victory was a balanced offensive attack combined with a stymieing defense that registered 12 blocks and dug out 57 of the Colonels' 118 attacks (.076). Senior middle blocker
Lexi Mercier was excellent in both areas of her game as a middle blocker, hitting .348 with 11 kills and blocking six shots, four of which were solo efforts.
Mercier's classmate
Dorothy Swanson was second on the team with 15 points as she posted a kill/dig double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs, and third in the scoring column was freshman
Marybeth Sandercox who scored 13 points on 12 kills (.348) and one block.
Rookie
Courtney Miller was credited with three solo blocks. Freshman
Amanda Chapa had the most digs with 18 in addition to recording the team's lone service ace, and sophomore
Kendall Bosse assisted on 38 attacks while providing four kills (.571).
The Wildcats were on point for much of the night with the exception of a slow start in game two, during which the Colonels jumped out to a 7-1 lead. But a kill from Sandercox brought the serve back to the Wildcats and
Mikai Brown, who remained on the service line for five consecutive points as the Wildcats rallied to tie the score at 7-7. Mercier scored three points during this run, and right after their streak was broken on a Stephanie Tobison kill, the Wildcats took off on another 6-1 run that gave them the lead for good.
One last charge by the Colonels late in the game got them to within a point of the lead at 23-22, but Swanson got one of her six kills that set to fall in and Sandercox sent her team into the break feeling a bit relieved after stuffing an attack by Sydney Lerille (-.091).
There were three tie scores early in game three but the Colonels would never recover from a 6-1 Wildcat run that snapped a 3-3 tie. ACU then build a couple of eight-point leads at 18-10 and 20-12 before winning four of the last six points. The match was won on a Kali Schwartz (.031) attack error.
Schwartz was Nicholls leading scorer tonight with 11 points. She had nine kills, one ace and a solo block.
The Wildcats conclude their season Saturday with a 1 p.m. match vs. McNeese. Swanson and Mercier will be honored during a pregame recognition ceremony.
