ABILENE - Abilene Christian volleyball dropped both games of a doubleheader to close out the Wildcat Classic at Moody Coliseum on Saturday. ACU fell to Incarnate Word in the morning matchup before being swept at the hands of Oklahoma in the second leg.
The latter match's attendance of 768 was the highest attendance for a volleyball match at Moody Coliseum since the Wildcats hosted the Sooners in 2022.
After dropping its first set against Incarnate Word, ACU engineered rallies in the next two periods before the Cardinals captured the final two periods.
Against UIW, junior middle blocker
Hannah Gonzalez and junior outside hitter
Aubrey Beaver each tallied double-digit kills for the second match in a row. Gonzalez collected 13 kills and five block assists, while Beaver added 11 kills and 12 digs. Redshirt freshman libero
Brennan Ramirez paced the Wildcats with 23 digs.
Gonzalez was named to the Wildcat Classic's All-Tournament Team, joining Missouri State's Rilynn Finley, UIW's Kyla Malone and Oklahoma's Emoni Bush and Dionii Fraga.
Redshirt sophomore MB
Erika Gustafson notched ACU's two solo blocks and added seven block assists for good measure. Junior setter
Rachel Koss recorded 39 assists.
The Wildcats outdid the Cardinals in kills, 58-50, but committed 44 errors to UIW's 30.
The Wildcats faced an early deficit against the Cardinals in the opening set, trailing 14-6 after a 7-1 UIW rally. ACU turned the tide with a 10-1 run as both teams remained within two points of each other for the remainder of the set. The Cardinals gained steam and transformed a 24-22 deficit into a 27-25 victory despite four kills apiece by Gonzalez and Beaver.
UIW led for much of the second set, with its edge growing to as much as 16-11 before ACU gathered some momentum of its own. Block assists by Gonzalez and sophomore OH
Annaleise Sevier earned the Wildcats their first lead of the period at 21-20. They came alive late, scoring the last three points of the set to nab a 25-22 win.
The match's third set mirrored much of the second, with the Cardinals going on top early before the Wildcats found their footing. UIW built a 16-10 advantage until ACU rattled off a 6-0 run to knot it at 16. It closed the set on an 8-1 rally at 25-19.
The Cardinals righted their wrongs in the fourth set, engineering a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Wildcats cut a 19-11 deficit in half at 20-16, but UIW powered through for a 25-18 victory.
The decisive fifth set was one of rallies, as the Cardinals went ahead, 6-3, after a 4-0 run. Four consecutive points by the Wildcats pushed them in the lead, 10-8, but UIW went on a 6-1 run for a 15-12 win to clinch the match.
ACU faced a quick turnaround in meeting Oklahoma later in the afternoon. For the second time this season, Beaver led the Wildcats with nine kills at .316, giving her 38 through three matches. Ramirez registered 11 digs, with senior S
Becca Siedenburg, a Gardner-Webb transfer, picking up 10 assists.
The Wildcats remained close with the Sooners in the early going of the first set until a 4-0 run by Oklahoma kept ACU from scoring consecutive points for the rest of the period. A 3-0 Sooner rally closed out Oklahoma's 25-15 win, capped with an Emoni Bush service ace. The Sooners were fueled by 14 kills at a .407 clip.
ACU continued to hang with Oklahoma in the second set, grabbing an 11-10 edge behind one of freshman OH
Hadlee Welch's four kills in her first career start. From there, the Sooners mounted a 6-0 run en route to a 25-16 set victory.
The Wildcats were most potent in the third set as Beaver tallied five kills at a .714 clip. With the score even at 7, Oklahoma rode the momentum of a 7-1 rally to a 25-20 win to seal the match victory.
ACU returns to action at 6 p.m. Wednesday when it takes on Northwestern State at Moody Coliseum for Hawaiian Night.
