Wildcats open WAC play against familiar foes

ABILENE - ACU heads on the road this weekend to face two familiar foes as they began WAC play. The Wildcats will face SFA on Thursday night before closing the weekend at Sam Houston. It's a tough road trip for ACU as they look for their first win against either program since 2017. Thursday night's match will be broadcast on ESPN+, but there will not be a live stream for the match Saturday at Sam Houston. 

SERIES HISTORY

SFA

• ALL-TIME | 12th meeting (SFA leads, 9-2)
• LAST MEETING | Feb. 27, 2021 (SFA won 3-1)
• STREAK | SFA, W3
• IN ABILENE | SFA leads, 5-1
• IN NACOGDOCHES | SFA leads, 4-0
• NEUTRAL | ACU leads, 1-0

SAM HOUSTON

• ALL-TIME | 11th meeting (SHSU leads, 7-3)
• LAST MEETING | Mar. 27, 2021 (SHSU won 3-1)
• STREAK | SHSU, W4
• IN ABILENE | SHSU leads, 4-2
• IN HUNTSVILLE | SHSU leads, 3-1

ACU STORYLINES

• Madison Rohre continues to lead the WAC in assists per set, averaging 10.41 per set. 
• The Wildcats have played just two matches over the last two weeks, at Oklahoma and home against Prairie View. The team has had both of the last two weekends off. 
• WAC play officially started last weekend, but only SFA and UTGV matched up out of the Southwest Division. 
• ACU has four players currently ranked in the top 10 in statistical categories in the conference. Rohre leads in assists per set, Lindsey Toney is second in kills per set (4.80), Brea Box is fourth in hitting percentage (.344), and Madison Lawler is eighth in digs per set (4.03). 
• This will be the Wildcats first action in eight days coming off of their sweep of PVAMU last Wednesday. 

SCOUTING THE LADYJACKS

• SFA comes into Thursday's match with a 10-3 record overall and a 1-0 record in WAC play. The Ladyjacks earned a four-set win over UTRGV in their WAC opener last weekend. 
• Taya Mitchell leads SFA and the WAC averaging 1.32 blocks per set which also ranks 35th nationally. 
• Leah Powell leads the team with 2.55 kills per set, but the team has four hitters averaging 2.2 kills per set or better. 
• Alyssa Ortega is leading the team in the back row with 4.74 digs per set which is good for fourth in the WAC. 

SCOUTING THE BEARKATS

• Sam Houston sits at 7-5 coming into the weekend and will see their first WAC action against Tarleton on Thursday night in Huntsville. 
• Reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year Ashley Lewis has continued her stellar play from the spring into the fall. She has 177 kills on the year, third in the WAC, and is averaging 3.47 kills per set. 
• Libero, Hannah Baker, currently leads the WAC in digs per set with 4.88 and has had seven games with 20-plus kills, including a 44-dig outing against Tulsa. 
• Morgan Janda has handled the setting duties for the Bearkats this season and is averaging 9.2 assists per set, fifth in the WAC. 

Follow ACU on social media:

Twitter: @ACU_Volleyball | @ACUsports

Instagram: @acu_volleyball | @acusports

Facebook: /acusports

#GoWildcats