Smith hits milestone in volleyball’s rollicking five-set comeback

SAN ANTONIO – Senior Jacey Smith needed only two kills Saturday to reach 1,000 in her career, but went on to deliver a match-high 25 in Abilene Christian volleyball's epic five-set rally to beat rival Incarnate Word at the McDermott Center.

The Wildcats dropped the first two sets by scores of 27-25 and 28-26 before battling back to win the next three: 27-25, 25-21 and 15-6. ACU is now 6-9 on the season and off to its best start in Southland Conference competition at 3-0.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, fell to 4-11 overall and 2-3 within the league.

Smith's 25 kills not only were a personal best, but they were the most by any Wildcat player in the D1 era (Jennie Loerch 24 vs. Nicholls, Oct. 25, 2015) and the most by any Wildcat since 2011 when Jennie Hutt pulverized UIW at home with 32 kills.

ACU's all-time single match record for kills is 38, set by Jennifer Purvis vs. St. Mary's on Nov. 4, 2000.

Smith today also provided one of the team's nine service aces in finishing with 26.5 points. This marks the second time this season ACU has matched its D1 team record of nine aces. The Wildcats also had nine aces vs. Winthrop (W, 3-2) back on Aug. 24.

After dropping the first two sets today, the Wildcats had their collective backs pushed further against the wall after UIW jumped out to a five-point lead at 10-5. ACU, however, punched back and it was a block from Jacey Smith and classmate Lauren Walker that tied the set a first time at 17-17.

From there, the Wildcats jumped ahead 23-21 on a kill from Katelyn Mueller (15K, 2 aces, 11 digs) only to see the Cardinals retake the lead at 24-23 on consecutive Julia Monday service aces.

Mueller quickly brought the lead back to the Wildcats on a kill and ace, but UIW's Autumn Lockley tied the score a last time at 25 on one of her game-high 26 kills. Lockley also hit .476.

Then it was time for Smith to shine once more, and her back-to-back kills with assists from Kendall Bosse (55 assists) delivered ACU its much-needed first set victory. Bosse's assist total tied her single-match career high from earlier this season vs. Oral Roberts (Sept. 8).

ACU again started slow in the fourth set as UIW jumped out to a 5-1 lead. But soon afterward the Wildcats scored eight-straight points with Walker at the service line in taking an 11-7 lead that forced the Cardinals to burn a timeout.

The home team eventually battled back to tie the score twice at 17-17 and 18-18, however, the Wildcats were able to tie matters thanks to a set-ending 7-3 run that included back-to-back aces from Bosse, kills from Mueller and Marybeth Sandercox (8K, .304) and a block from Sandercox and Kennedy Shelstead (12K, .348, 8 BA).

ACU outblocked the Cardinals, 11-8, and had five players with 10 or more digs led by Lillian Drever's 18. Mueller and Smith each had respective kill/dig double-doubles of 15/11 and 25/10.

The fifth set belonged to the Wildcats from start to finish. A kill from Smith capped a set-starting 6-1 run and later three straight kills from Smith and Bosse put the Purple and White comfortably ahead at 11-5.

ACU reached match point on a kill from Shelstead and won the contest on a Cardinals' ball-handling error.

Next up for the Wildcats is a road match at Sam Houston State, set for next Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. The Bearkats are 10-5 overall and 2-1 vs. the Southland after falling 3-0 Thursday at Incarnate Word.