ABILENE – Sophomore outside hitter
Katelyn Mueller hit .389 with nine kills, a block and five service aces in leading Abilene Christian volleyball to a 3-0 sweep of Nicholls Tuesday night at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats (13-12, 10-3 Southland) won by scores of 25-15, 25-22 and 25-16 in completing their two-match season sweep of the Colonels (3-23, 1-12 Southland).
Head Coach Angela Mooney Postmatch Interview
Mueller's five aces tied her personal best from earlier this season against Idaho State, and again matched the team's single-match (D1 era) record that she shares with seniors
Kendall Bosse (Oct. 8, 2016 vs. Nicholls) and
Jacey Smith (Sept. 24, 2016 vs. Incarnate Word). Bosse tonight delivered a pair of aces in reaching 90 for her career on top of three kills and 27 assists that leave her five shy of 3,000.
Kennedy Shelstead was second on the team with 10.5 points, collecting seven blocks that were one short of her personal single-match best at Incarnate Word, while junior right-side
Marybeth Sandercox had a hand in seven rejections (one solo) as the Wildcats outblocked the Colonels, 10-4. The team also dug out 29 attacks in limiting Nicholls to a .156 attack percentage, and the Colonels further hurt themselves with nine service errors and 10 unforced attack errors.
ACU established the right tone offensively in the first set, hitting .444 with only two errors on 27 attempts, as Mueller was successful on five of her first six swings – the last of which put the Wildcats ahead, 20-10. Shelstead then contributed a pair of kills followed by a termination from Smith (7K), which brought ACU to set point.
Set two saw each team have its share of struggles. Nicholls led early but could never put enough distance between itself and the Wildcats as repeated service errors kept the Wildcats within striking distance. The Colonels' sixth service error of the set cut their lead to 14-12, and ACU tied the score a few points later at 17-17 after an attack error by Sydney Swann was followed by a block from Smith and Bosse.
Nicholls would regain the lead four additional times, but never by more than two points, and at the very end the Wildcats made their guests pay by finishing on a 5-0 run after the Colonels went ahead, 22-20.
Mueller registered two aces down the stretch in bringing her team to set point, and then a block from Sandercox and Shelstead – one of six they had together – put ACU up two sets to none.
ACU began the third set in a little hole, but quickly dug its way out of trouble with a 13-1 run that made it a 14-5 score. The Wildcats blocked four shots during this stretch (all involving Shelstead) in addition to receiving three aces plus another kill from Mueller. ACU twice grabbed a 10-point lead in the latter stages, first on an ace from Bosse that made it 22-12 and then a kill from Sandercox that put the Wildcats ahead 23-13.
Tonight's match was ACU's last home contest until their regular-season finale Saturday, Nov. 10 vs. Sam Houston State (1 p.m.). Later this week the Wildcats have to play at Southland Conference heavyweights Central Arkansas (Thursday, 6 p.m.) and Stephen F. Austin (Saturday, 1 p.m.). ACU's match in Nacogdoches will be streamed on ESPN3.
