BEAUMONT, Texas - Abilene Christian volleyball was swept at the hands of Lamar to close out the Lamar Invitational at McDonald Gym on Saturday afternoon. ACU will meet East Texas A&M in Commerce, Texas at 6:30 p.m. Monday in its final tuneup before Western Athletic Conference play begins.
The Wildcats outpaced the Cardinals in kills, 39-37, with 10 coming from
Hannah Gonzalez at a .259 hitting percentage. She had a hand in three of ACU's five blocks, collecting a solo block and two block assists.
Ashli Edmiston and
Avery Thaler combined for 15 kills, with Thaler recording two block assists.
Izabelle Larson tallied two of the Wildcats' four service aces while
Brennan Ramirez notched 19 digs and
Rachel Koss registered 26 assists.
Lamar established itself early on its home court, grabbing a 7-2 lead in the opening set before stretching it to a 16-8 advantage with a 7-1 run. The Cardinals rode their momentum to set point at 24-16, but the Wildcats clawed back within a point thanks to a 7-0 rally. A service error, though, allowed Lamar to eke out a 25-23 victory. Edmiston and Thaler recorded four kills apiece in the period.
ACU engineered a quicker start out of the gate in the second set, grabbing a 15-12 edge at the midway point. The Cardinals came roaring out of the break, though, launching a 12-1 rally that took them all the way to set point. The Wildcats gained three consecutive points, but a Lamar block gave the home team a 25-19 win.
The Cardinals stayed hot to begin the third set, taking a 7-1 lead with a 7-0 run following an Edmiston kill. After the initial 1-0 edge, ACU didn't lead for the remainder of the period despite a seven-kill effort by Gonzalez. The Wildcats got within a point at 20-19, but Lamar maintained its edge en route to a 25-21 victory.
