COLUMBIA, Mo.— After dropping the first match of the day in four sets to Missouri, the Wildcats bounced back with a four-set victory over Northwestern State to give coach Blair her first career win at the NCAA level. The team once again put together a balanced effort on offense and were able to come out on top of the Demons behind a .227 hitting percentage, their best mark of the year.
Scoring Summary (Match 1)
Set 1: 25-22
Set 2: 12-25
Set 3: 16-25
Set 4: 13-25
The Wildcats had a solid start to their weekend as they were able to take the first set from the Tigers, aided by Missouri's six service errors. ACU held as much as a seven-point lead in the set, but the Tigers were able to climb back into the match and use that momentum to close out the 'Cats.
Scoring Summary (Match 2)
Set 1: 25-19
Set 2: 14-25
Set 3: 25-18
Set 4: 25-17
Back-to-back aces from
Madeline Guffy got the Wildcats started in their second match of the day and they never looked back on their way to a set one win. The Demons evened the match at one set each after closing set two on a 12-1 run, but ACU bounced back to take the next two sets with ease.
Quotable-Coach Blair
On securing her first win:
"Today was a great team win. The team really responded well to adversity and really pulled together when things got tough. I am beyond excited to see what the girls can do with a win under their belt. We are just starting to see what we are really capable of. This team is really special and I am excited to be able to get my first win with them."
Stat Pack
- Ashli Edmiston had another solid day totaling 18 kills, including 12 in the win over Northwestern State. The freshman hit .304 against the Demons.
- Madeline Guffy had six service aces between the two games, four coming against NSU.
- The Wildcats hit an astronomical .609 in the third set against Northwestern State, the team totaled 17 kills with three errors on 23 attempts.
- Jada Birkel had her best match of the year against NSU notching 11 kills, her first double-digit outing of the season, on a .316 hitting percentage.
News and Notes
- The Wildcats 10 aces were the second most in four-set match in DI history and tied for fourth for the most aces in a DI match ever.
- Emily Mekelburg got her first collegiate start in the game against NSU.
- With the win over Northwestern State, Alisa Blair earned her first head coaching victory at the NCAA level.
Up Next
ACU is back in action bright and early tomorrow morning with a 10 a.m. match against Missouri State.
