HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State handed Abilene Christian volleyball its first Southland Conference loss of the season Saturday, defeating the Wildcats in four sets by scores of 25-17, 22-25, 25-22 and 25-20. Both teams are now 3-1 in league play.
The Bearkats (11-5) won the first set in wire-to-wire fashion but surrendered three of the last four points in losing the second set. Taylor Cunningham – who led all players today with 29 kills and a .475 attack percentage – pulled the Bearkats' to within a point at 22-21 on her sixth kill of the set, however, the Wildcats responded with two kills from
Jacey Smith (including the set winner) and one from junior
Marybeth Sandercox (10K).
Smith today led the Wildcats with 15.0 points on 13 kills and 3.0 blocks. She also dug out 11 attacks for her 10th double-double of the fall.
Sam Houston retook a two-to-one lead courtesy of a 3-1 run to end the third set, and finished set four on a 12-8 outburst after the Wildcats made it a one-point score at 13-12. Breanne Chausse (13K, .290) scored the match's final point off an assist from Jaclyn Ward (33 assists).
Senior middle blocker
Lauren Walker was second to Smith in the Wildcats' point column with 12.0, registering 10 kills (.304), three assists, five digs and four blocks.
Kendall Bosse tossed up 43 assists and is now averaging 11.0 assists per Southland Conference set, while libero
Lillian Drever dug out a team high 23 attacks.
The Wildcats (6-10) return to action Tuesday for a 6 p.m. home match vs. Houston Baptist, which lost 3-1 to ACU in the Southland Conference semifinals last November.
