ABILENE - Abilene Christian volleyball plays its final home matches of the 2020-21 season this weekend, and the Wildcats will honor their lone senior
Katelyn Mueller prior to Saturday's 1 p.m. match vs. Central Arkansas at the Teague Center. The team also will play host to the Northwestern State Thursday at 6 p.m.
A starter since her freshman season of 2017 and an All-Southland Conference honoree, Mueller has etched her name throughout the Wildcats' record books. Entering this weekend's homestand she currently ranks fourth in ACU's DI era with 773 kills, second with 2.71 kills per set, and third with 70 service aces. The Sugar Land, Texas native also is No. 5 in points with 891, and her 4.4 points per set in 2021 is currently a program individual season record.
Mueller's senior year highlights include a career single-match high 23 kills and 26.0 points vs McNeese on Feb. 11. The week prior she set the team's single-match record (DI era) with 73 attack attempts at Incarnate Word (22 kills / 24.0 points), and she had 16 kills in a three-set sweep of Lamar.
Mueller's Career Single-Match Highs
Kills: 23, McNeese, 02/11/21
Attacks: 73, at UIW, 02/04/21
Attack pct: .522, A&M-Corpus Christi, Oct 16, 2018 (13-1-23)
Assists: 4, at UIW, 02/04/21
Serve aces: 5, Lamar University, 11/16/19; vs Idaho St., Aug 25, 2018; Nicholls, Oct 30, 2018
Digs: 22, vs Oral Roberts, Sep 08, 2018; at UTEP, Sep 10, 2017
Blocks: 5, at Central Arkansas, Nov 01, 2018; vs Oral Roberts, Sep 08, 2018; vs LSU, Sep 14, 2018
Block solo: 1, 6 times
Block assists: 5, at Central Arkansas, Nov 01, 2018; vs Oral Roberts, Sep 08, 2018; vs LSU, Sep 14, 2018
Early in her career Mueller was part of program history, starting as a freshman for the Wildcats during their run to the 2017 Southland Conference Championship game. She helped her eighth-seeded team upset the top-seeded Ladyjacks from Stephen F. Austin in the first round with 11 kills, an ace and a block. The following day vs. Houston Baptist in the semifinals she again posted 11 kills and an ace, plus a solo block in the four-set triumph.
ACU again made the tournament in 2018 behind a 10-6 Southland Conference record; however, in 2019, Mueller missed all but six matches due to injury. She would come back late in the season and helped the Wildcats end the season on a positive note with back-to-back home wins vs. McNeese and Lamar.
"Kate has been so instrumental in the strides our program has made on and off the court over the last few years," said ACU volleyball head coach
Angela Mooney. "Early on, she held a large role on the court but as the years have past, she has gained a significant role off the court and in the locker room. Her willingness to find ways to lead and serve our team is unmatched. She's a phenomenal player and even more special person."
Mueller's time with the Wildcats also includes several academic accolades from the Southland Conference, and in 2018, the nursing major was one of several Wildcats selected to represented
USA Team at the 2018 FISU Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
"I am thankful the Lord brought Kate to ACU," added Mooney. "I have been blessed to have the opportunity to be her coach and will forever be grateful to her and all she has invested into our program."
The Wildcats come into this homestand at 6-4 overall and 5-3 vs. the Southland Conference following last weekend's 1-1 trip to Louisiana. ACU dropped a 3-1 decision to Southeastern Louisiana last Thursday, before rebounding with a four-set win Saturday at New Orleans.
Mueller paced the offense with 26 kills (3.25 per set) vs. the Lady Lions and Privateers and added two aces plus 15 digs and a block assist.
Additional highlights from the UNO match included a 20-assist / 4.0 block assist effort from
Sarah Nading, an 18 assist / 11 dig double-double for
Madison Rohre, and 17 digs / aces from
Mackenzie Harris. Rohre also posted a 15 assist / 11 dig double-double against Southeastern La.
