BEAUMONT, Texas - Abilene Christian volleyball swept a pair of matches over Texas Southern and Cal State Fullerton at the Lamar Invitational at McDonald Gym on Friday. The Wildcats close out the tournament versus the host Cardinals at 1 p.m. Saturday.
ACU outdid Texas Southern in kills, 45-31 in the morning matchup with a .253 hitting percentage to the Tigers' .186. The Wildcats collected 10 service aces for the fourth match of the season in which they've tallied double digit aces.
Aubrey Beaver paced ACU with 14 kills at .500 and tied
Brennan Ramirez for the lead in digs with nine. The pair also recorded two aces apiece.
Hannah Gonzalez registered 11 kills at .304 and picked up three service aces.
Rachel Koss led the team with 36 assists and added a pair of aces.
Both squads stayed even in the early going of the first set, with a 3-0 run by the Tigers leveling the score at 15 apiece. A 4-1 rally by the Wildcats provided them the boost they needed, as ACU didn't relinquish the lead and rode it to a 25-20 victory. Beaver and Gonzalez each provided four kills in the period.
Texas Southern jumped to an early 7-1 lead in the second set and answered a 6-1 ACU run to remain in the driver's seat at 13-8. The Wildcats launched a 7-1 rally to take their first lead of the set at 15-14 before the Tigers regained the advantage at 16-15. Their edge was short-lived, as ACU ended the period on a 10-1 run to clinch a 25-17 win. Gonzalez and Beaver combined for seven kills, with Beaver and Koss adding two aces each.
The Tigers didn't let up, using a 7-0 rally to grab a 13-7 edge to open the third set. Trailing 17-11, the Wildcats got back in the ring with an 8-2 run that tied things up at 19. Texas Southern scored three consecutive points to earn set point at 24-21, but ACU countered with a 5-0 rally of its own to seal the sweep with a 26-24 victory.
Three of the Wildcats' final five points came from Beaver kills, while another was provided by a block by Beaver and Gonzalez. Beaver collected seven kills in the final set, while
Avery Thaler recorded four. Koss registered 16 assists.
In the afternoon contest, ACU tallied 49 kills to Cal State Fullerton's 26 as the Wildcats limited the Titans to a .085 hitting percentage.
Ashli Edmiston stayed hot with 15 kills, her most in a match since notching 19 versus California Baptist on Nov. 2, 2023.
Annaleise Sevier matched her career high with 12 kills and two block assists, while Beaver and Gonzalez each recorded two solo blocks. Ramirez led the way with 18 digs and two service aces, with Koss adding 37 more assists.
ACU continued its momentum in grabbing an 8-4 lead to begin the match, but Cal State Fullerton rebounded to tie it up at 12. A 7-2 rally pushed the Titans ahead, 23-20, but the Wildcats again fended off defeat with a 4-0 run to cap off the period that featured three Edmiston kills. ACU took the narrow win, 25-23.
Edmiston notched six kills in the set, with Sevier and Gonzalez recording four apiece. Gonzalez had a hand in two blocks, as well.
Like the first set, ACU took a quick 8-4 advantage in the second before Cal State Fullerton battled back to tie the set at 9. The Titans used their momentum to go ahead at the midway point, 15-13, as part of a 10-4 run. The Wildcats tilted the scales back in their favor, using a 10-3 rally to snatch a 25-20 victory.
In a set with no ACU aces or blocks, Edmiston and Sevier fueled the offense with five kills each. Four of Edmiston's kills came in the final run to end the set.
The Wildcats' mettle continued to be tested in the third set with another rockfight between the two teams. Tied at 13, ACU used a 4-0 rally to build a cushion, leading by as much as 20-15. Cal State Fullerton responded once again, launching a 9-2 run as it aimed to stave off defeat.
Facing set point, the Wildcats stayed alive with two Edmiston kills to tie the period at 24. Another Titan point evoked set point again, but Edmiston continued to rise when called upon with another kill. Consecutive Cal State Fullerton attack errors awarded ACU the hard-fought victory at 27-25.
Edmiston and Beaver, a Titan transfer, each notched four kills in the final set, with Beaver adding a couple of solo blocks.
