Wildcats look to rekindle Moody Magic during first homestand

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ABILENE – There's been longer home winning streaks in ACU volleyball's history, but when a program is taking baby steps into DI athletics an undefeated home record needs to celebrated and be given an appropriate nickname.
 
Thus 'Moody Magic' was born.
 
The moniker didn't come straightaway. In fact, the Wildcats lost their first seven road matches of 2016 and then dropped another eight straight after beating UT Arlington 3-2 at home. This was a fine comeback in which ACU battled back from a 2-1 deficit with razor-thin victories of 25-22 and 18-16 in sets four and five.
 
But was it a one–off? Not quite. Because three weeks later in the Wildcats' Southland Conference home opening weekend, they took care of both New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana in four sets.
 
A 3-0 home record is solid, however, it's not that quite extraordinary. But in the homestand that followed there seemed to be something extra special in the air. A force that equipped the Wildcats with the tools and talent necessary to hold off both Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State in five sets during back-to-back dates.
 
The crowds weren't necessarily bigger, but they were louder. And when the Wildcats scored, they roared in unison. 
 
Against SFA, the Wildcats jumped out to a 14-9 lead in game five thanks to a consistent attack (8 kills, 2 errors) only to see the Ladyjacks rally to close the score to 14-12. SFA clearly had all the momentum in its corner, but vanished in a blink of an eye after Haley Coleman overhit the ball for her team's fifth service error of the night.
 
Two days later vs. the Bearkats, ACU overcame a dismal fourth set in which it was outscored 25-15 with a solid showing in game five. A kill from Jacey Smith put ACU ahead 13-10 in the final set, but the visitors closed to within a point following consecutive strikes by Amanda Gooch and Sarah Sherman.
 
Those points forced the Wildcats to burn a timeout. But coming out of the break they received a block from Mercier and Kendall Bosse to get to match point, while the game-winning strike was delivered by then-senior Dorothy Swanson.
 
Those two victories over established Southland teams marked the biggest conference weekend for ACU volleyball since joining the league in 2013, and 'Moody Magic' soon became a permanent fixture in articles and interviews leading up to the Wildcats' final four-match homestand.
 
ACU started that stretch of four matches in nine days with a 3-1 win vs. Houston Baptist. And to close the season, the Wildcats swept Lamar, Nicholls and McNeese to finish with an 11-5 conference record – good for third place.

The magic was real, but with it dormant since mid November it'll be interesting to see if it can be revitalized once more when the Wildcats play host to Sam Houston State for its home opener this Saturday at noon. But what definitely works in the Wildcats' favor is the fact that their match also is being paired with the football tailgate for the game between SFA and ACU that kicks off at 6 p.m.
  
The Wildcats come into this match with a 4-8 record led by a block that ranks 69th nationally (second in the Southland Conference) with 2.36 blocks per set. Freshman middle blocker Lorin McNeil is fourth in the Southland with 1.07 blocks per set, and junior Lauren Walker is right behind her with 1.05.
 
ACU's defense additionally boasts sophomore libero Amanda Chapa, whose 4.69 digs per set rank her 62nd nationally and second within the league. She also is fourth in the SLC with 197 total digs.
 
Offensively, ACU has three attackers all with more than 100 points through 12 games. Smith leads the Wildcats with 131.5 points on 13 aces 2.56 kills per set. Walker is second with 112.5 points on the strength of 42 blocks and 2.20 kills per set, and freshman Katelyn Mueller is third with 104.0 points (2.30 k/s).
 
Sam Houston finished its non-conference schedule at 3-9. The Bearkats are hitting .167 with 12.14 kills, 14.36 digs and 1.83 blocks per set, and list Jordyn Vaughn (3.55 k/s) and Brooke White (3.38 k/s) as their leading scorers.

ACU's nine-match home winning streak is currently tied for 16th nationally with such volleyball luminaries as Alabama, Notre Dame and Penn State. It's also a long way off from top-ranked Minnesota's streak, which stands at 39 consecutive victories.