ACU Hits Road to Take On Austin Peay, UAC Frontrunner Eastern Kentucky

Thursday, October 15

Clarksville, Tenn.

6 p.m.

Abilene Christian

Austin Peay

Alexis Strong delivers an attack in ACU's matchup versus Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas on Oct. 10, 2026.

Photo by: Luke White

ACU Hits Road to Take On Austin Peay, UAC Frontrunner Eastern Kentucky

10/14/2026 6:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: Luke White

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Abilene Christian volleyball makes its furthest road trip of the season when it takes on Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky this week. The Wildcats match up with the Governors at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Winfield Dunn Center before meeting the Colonels at 11 a.m. (CT) Saturday at Baptist Health Arena.

ACU will travel over 1,000 miles to Richmond, Ky. to battle the United Athletic Conference frontrunners. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+, with Alex Gould on the call for Thursday's match versus Austin Peay.

The Wildcats have the opportunity to make history away from home with a 12-6 record and a 4-2 mark in conference play. They're one victory away from matching their most wins in a Division I season, having won 13 matches on three occasions, including last year.

ACU defeated UT Arlington last week to improve to 7-2 at home before falling on the road to Tarleton State. The Wildcats have won 11 of their last 14 contests for their best record since 2010, while a 5-2 start to conference action would be ACU's hottest opening since 2018.

The Wildcats are aiming for a season sweep of the Governors following a win over Austin Peay at Moody Coliseum on Oct. 1. ACU never trailed en route to a sweep and swung at a .277 hitting percentage. Hannah Gonzalez and Avery Thaler combined for 21 kills, while Rachel Koss delivered 40 assists.

The Wildcats, tied for third in the UAC standings, will meet the Colonels for the first time in program history in a pivotal conference matchup. Eastern Kentucky is 16-2 with a 6-0 mark in UAC action, having won its last 11 matches.

Brennan Ramirez has made a name for herself as one of the most reliable liberos in the country, pacing the conference and ranking in the top 10 nationally with 5.13 digs per set and 349 total digs. In UAC play, she's averaging 5.68 digs per set.

ACU leads the conference and ranks 44th nationally with 13.56 kills per set. It's also in the top 50 for digs per set (15.16) and total kills (922). Koss tops the UAC and is 11th nationally with 698 assists. She ranks second with 10.26 assists per set, good for 35th in the Division I ranks.

HISTORICALLY HOT START – ACU has opened the 2026 campaign roaring out of the gates with its best start in nearly two decades. The Wildcats are 12-6, their hottest start since 2010 (15-3) and throughout the Division I era (since 2013). A win versus the Governors would tie for the Wildcats' most in a season in the DI era. ACU's 4-2 mark in conference play is its best opening since 2020-21's spring season. ACU went 8-3 in the month of September and has won 11 of its last 14 matches.

MOODY MAGIC – The Wildcats have played some of their best volleyball at Moody Coliseum this season with a 7-2 record at home. They've already surpassed their total in home wins from last season. ACU has won its last six matches in Abilene, and a seventh straight victory would mark its most since 2018.

ACING IT – Senior libero Abby Christian has established herself as a force at the service over four seasons in Abilene. She is the Wildcats' DI leader in career aces with 111 across 105 matches. Christian surpassed ACU's DI record of 103 aces, established by Madeline Guffy from 2022-24. Guffy and Christian are the only DI Wildcats to surpass 100 aces. Christian is third in the DI record book with 0.28 aces per set.

WELCOME TO ABILENE – The Wildcats have received early contributions from a pair of newcomers in freshman Alyssa Todd and Westmont transfer Maddie Finnegan. Todd has emerged as arguably the top freshman in the conference with 171 kills and a team-best 3.00 kills per set. She set ACU's DI single-match freshman kills record with 21 at North Alabama on Sept. 24. Todd became the fastest freshman in ACU's DI era to reach 100 career kills, doing so in just 10 matches. She was named the UAC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 8. Finnegan, a junior, has been versatile with 79 kills, 11 aces and 124 digs.

WEEKLY HONORS – The Wildcats have been the recipients of five UAC weekly accolades this season between three student-athletes. Hannah Gonzalez was named the Player of the Week on Sept. 14 and 21, and Brennan Ramirez was named the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14 and 28. Alyssa Todd received Freshman of the Week distinction on Sept. 8. Ramirez was the three-time WAC Libero of the Week last season.

STAYING THE COURSE – A rarity in today's world of college athletics, ACU's roster touts seven seniors, including five that have spent their entire four-year careers in Abilene. Gonzalez, Koss, Abby Christian, Izabelle Larson and Alexis Strong each arrived at ACU in 2023 alongside head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup. The group of five has combined to play in 386 matches and 1,246 sets entering the 2026 campaign. Also beginning her fourth season as head coach of the Wildcats, Moronu Alstrup described this year as a "senior season" of her own. Additionally, Avery Thaler, Annaleise Sevier and Courtney Church are each in their third seasons at ACU.

FAMILY AFFAIR – Head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup and assistant coach Chris Alstrup are one of six known Division I coaching duos that are married. The two met while Moronu Alstrup was playing professional volleyball in Alstrup's home country of Denmark. They have a daughter, Charlie, and a son, Jude. Other married coaching duos include Little Rock, Eastern Michigan, Montana State, Southern Utah and West Virginia. Other family ties on the Wildcats' roster include freshman OH/RS Garrah Prox and her sister, student manager Zoey Prox.

WILDCATS AROUND THE GLOBE – Much of ACU's team chemistry and camaraderie was built this summer on the program's international tour to Europe. From June 4-14, the Wildcats globetrotted across Sweden, Denmark and Germany, immersing themselves in local cultures while competing against overseas programs and taking part in volunteer work. ACU competed against Holte, one of the top programs in Denmark, the Danish National Team and the U17 German Regional National Team.

NATIONWIDE WILDCATS – Eight states are represented on ACU's 18-person roster (Texas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, California, Missouri, Louisiana, Washington and Kentucky). Ten Wildcats hail from the Lone Star State. Beyond the United States, assistant coach Chris Alstrup is Danish.