ABILENE – A kill from
Marybeth Sandercox followed by a New Orleans attack error provided the Wildcats with a thrilling, yet exhausting, four-set victory over the Privateers Saturday afternoon at Moody Coliseum.
Abilene Christian (6-10, 2-2 Southland) passed and served the ball well above average in sets one and two, winning 25-17 and 25-23. But a passing breakdown in set three allowed UNO (7-9, 1-3 Southland) to climb back into the match behind a 25-20 victory, and the visitors nearly pushed it to a fifth set after coming all the way back from a 24-20 deficit.
"We were passing under pressure," said ACU head coach
Angela Mooney about her team's performance late in the fourth set. "We played too safe when the match got tight, but thankfully we recognized we still had the lead and momentum and just had to finish."
Sandercox came off the bench in the third and finished each of the last two sets with four kills, providing a much-needed offensive spark off the bench. Her final kill of the match snapped UNO's 4-0 run and gave ACU its final lead at 25-24. Privateer Lane Hindenburg was then charged with the attacking error, which was only her fourth of the match on 24 attempts (.375), as she led her side with 13 kills and 16 points.
ACU won the final set, 26-24.
The Wildcats distributed the ball quite evenly and had four individuals with double-digit kills, led by freshman
Katelyn Mueller with 14 (.263). Middle blockers
Lauren Walker and
Lorin McNeil combined for 21 kills and 12 blocks, while outside hitter
Jacey Smith contributed 10 kills, an ace and 13 digs – two behind team leader
Amanda Chapa (15).
Junior
Kendall Bosse was the Wildcats' lone setter today and she helped ACU outhit the Privateers .192 to .168 with 51 assists. She also was credited with three kills, one ace, 11 digs and five blocks (one solo). Bosse's 51 assists were one shy of her career high of 52 (five sets vs. Stephen F. Austin) and tied Sarah Siemens for the most against a DI opponent. Siemens' 51 assists came at McNeese in 2015.
The Wildcats cruised past the Privateers in the first set, but could never quite shake free from them the rest of the way. ACU had to dig out of a five-point hole (20-15) with a 10-3 run to win the second set, and then UNO returned the favor in the third set, finishing on a 6-0 run after trailing 20-19.
The fourth set featured 12 ties and seven lead changes. ACU held its largest lead at 13-9 only to watch UNO go back ahead by one point at18-17. The Wildcats then recovered their four-point cushion at 24-20 thanks to a kill from McNeil. But UNO came back once more after the Wildcats reached match point, getting three kills and a block from Hindenburg and Rhyan Rand. A kill from Hindeburg would tie the score a final time at 24-24.
New Orleans' final block was their 12th of the match, one behind ACU's 13 as the Wildcats have now outblocked all four of their Southland Conference opponents.
ACU returns to action Thursday, Oct. 5 for a rematch at McNeese, which defeated the Wildcats 3-1 last Tuesday at Moody Coliseum.
