Volleyball Launches Season This Weekend

	Saturday vs. Houston Christian 3:30 PM | @Texas Tech	Live Stats
	Sunday at Texas Tech 2 PM	Live Stats

ABILENE – Abilene Christian opens the 2023 volleyball season against a pair of top-rate opponents in the Under Armour Challenge at Texas Tech.
 
The Wildcats face former Southland Conference foe Houston Christian at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday before meeting Texas Tech at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
 
ACU hopes to start the Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup coaching era victoriously on the road. The Cats play their home opener on Tuesday against Texas A&M-Commerce.
 

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ACU Storylines
 
NEW COACH: The matches at Texas Tech mark the beginning of the Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup coaching era. An ACU Athletics Hall of Famer as a player, Coach IJ (pronounced EJ) had been coaching overseas before returning to Abilene.
 
OLD COACH: Coach IJ replaces Alisa Blair, who left ACU to become associate head coach at Texas Tech. Blair was 7-19 at ACU last season.
 
TOUGH STARTS: ACU is 2-8 in season openers since beginning its Division I era. ACU beat Texas-Arlington in 2021 and Georgetown in 2018 to begin those seasons.
 
POWER HUNGRY: The Wildcats are 1-22 since 2013 against teams from what has been considered the Power 5. That win was in 2013 against Texas Tech.
 
FRONT LOADED: The Cats return six starters from last year, including the top two finishers Bryley Steinhilber (2.66 kills/set) and 2022 WAC Freshman of the Year Ashli Edmiston (2.48 k/s). Braden Bossier (0.83 blocks/set) and Breanna Box (0.64 b/s) also are back this season.
 
HERE TO HELP: Top setter Madeline Guffy is back this season after leading the team with 4.96 assists per set last season as a sophomore.
 
History with Houston Christian
 

• HCU leads the series 9-3
• Current streak: HCU 4 wins
• Last ACU win: 2018 in Abilene, 3-2
• Last HCU win: 2021 in Houston, 3-0
• Series on a neutral court: tied 1-1

 
Scouting the Huskies
 

• HCU was 23-11 last season and lost in the Southland Conference finals.
• The Huskies are the preseason favorite to win the Southland this season.
• Sarah Arroyo (3.06 k/s) and Anna Gadway (3.02 k/s) are back this season and picked as preseason first-team All-Southland honorees.
• HCU opens the season Friday at Texas Tech

  History with Texas Tech
 

• Texas Tech leads the series 7-1
• Current Streak: Texas Tech 6 wins
• Last ACU win: 2013 in Abilene, 3-1
• Last Texas Tech win: 2021 in Abilene, 3-0
• At ACU: Tech leads 2-1
• At Tech: Tech leads 5-0

 
Scouting the Red Raiders
 

• Tech went 16-13 last season and lost its top two killers Kenna Sauer and Reagan Cooper, who combined for 6.8 kills per set last season.
• Reese Rhodes led the team with 10.53 assists per set last season and returns for her senior season.
• Maddie O'Brien, who led the team with 39 aces last season, returns for her senior season.
• Libero Maddie Correa returns as a junior after leading the Red Raiders with 3.31 digs last season.