Thursday, November 12
Abilene, Texas
6 p.m.
Abilene Christian
19-8,11-4UAC
3
vs
1
Central Arkansas
9-16,9-6UAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Ark. | 20 | 25 | 15 | 20 | 1 |
| Abilene Christian | 25 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
11/13/2026 12:11:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ABILENE — Avery Thaler swung at a sensational .700 hitting percentage to lead Abilene Christian volleyball to a 3-1 win over Central Arkansas at Moody Coliseum on Thursday night. The Wildcats (19-8, 11-4) secured a season sweep of the Sugar Bears, their fifth sweep of a United Athletic Conference opponent this year.
Thaler set a career high with 14 kills and zero attack errors on 20 attempts. It's the second-highest single-match hitting percentage by a Wildcat with at least 20 swings in the Division I era. It's a top-15 mark nationally this season and only trails Hannah Gonzalez's .750 effort at Oral Roberts on Sept. 11 in the ACU record book.
The Wildcats continued to stack their most victories since 2011 while tying for their most conference wins as a DI program. ACU improved to 10-3 at Moody Coliseum, good for its most home victories since 2009.
The Wildcats close out the regular season against UAC leader Eastern Kentucky at Moody Coliseum at noon Saturday. ACU will honor the program's seven seniors on Senior Day while celebrating She Can Be, presented by Dr. Leslie Hutchins.
Thaler added three blocks to her career performance. Gonzalez followed with an exceptional effort of her own, matching Thaler with 14 kills at a .500 clip. She had just three errors on 22 attack attempts and added two blocks, including a solo rejection, with an ace.
Brennan Ramirez surpassed 1,000 career digs with 23 on Thursday, becoming the third DI Wildcat to reach four figures. She's tied with Madison Hoover for the most digs per set in DI history with 4.60 across 219 sets.Â
Aubrey Beaver and Alyssa Todd registered nine blocks apiece, while Hadlee Welch added eight kills with a team-high four blocks. Todd's 293 kills are the most in a season by an ACU freshman in the DI era and since 2012. Rachel Koss set them up for success with 52 assists, her sixth 50-assist performance of the season.
Abby Christian chipped in 14 digs. Five Wildcats tallied an ace at the service line, including a pair by Maddie Finnegan.
ACU scored the first three points of the match in the opening set and didn't look back on its way to a 25-20 win. The Wildcats kept the Sugar Bears at bay and used a 4-1 run to extend their lead to 24-19. They sealed the win following a set error by Central Arkansas. Four ACU players collected at least three kills, led by Gonzalez with kills on each of her four swings. Koss dished out 14 assists.Â
Central Arkansas was quick to answer with a 25-16 victory in the second set. The Sugar Bears led wire to wire and held off the Wildcats before scoring the final four points of the period. Gonzalez and Beaver each had three kills with Gonzalez adding an ace.
ACU rebounded in a big way with a 25-15 win in the third set. It took its first lead at 8-7 and remained in front the rest of the way. The Wildcats scored six straight points to make it an 18-10 game and later extended it to 22-13. They clinched the victory with kills by Beaver and Todd.
ACU swung at a remarkable .500 hitting percentage, turning 28 attacks into 17 kills. Thaler was perfect with each of her six attacks going for a kill. She also had a hand in two blocks. Gonzalez and Beaver combined for seven kills and each swung .600. Welch had a hand in each of the team's three blocks, while Koss assisted on 16 of the Wildcats' 17 kills.
Both teams were even in the early going of the fourth set before ACU rattled off six points in a row to grab an 11-6 edge. It built a 3-0 streak around the media timeout to strengthen its hold on the set to 17-9. The Sugar Bears fought back with four straight points to get to 22-19, but a Finnegan's second ace of the set sealed the deal with a 25-20 ACU victory. Four Wildcats had at least three kills, featuring four by Thaler. Koss had 13 assists.
Thaler set a career high with 14 kills and zero attack errors on 20 attempts. It's the second-highest single-match hitting percentage by a Wildcat with at least 20 swings in the Division I era. It's a top-15 mark nationally this season and only trails Hannah Gonzalez's .750 effort at Oral Roberts on Sept. 11 in the ACU record book.
The Wildcats continued to stack their most victories since 2011 while tying for their most conference wins as a DI program. ACU improved to 10-3 at Moody Coliseum, good for its most home victories since 2009.
The Wildcats close out the regular season against UAC leader Eastern Kentucky at Moody Coliseum at noon Saturday. ACU will honor the program's seven seniors on Senior Day while celebrating She Can Be, presented by Dr. Leslie Hutchins.
Thaler added three blocks to her career performance. Gonzalez followed with an exceptional effort of her own, matching Thaler with 14 kills at a .500 clip. She had just three errors on 22 attack attempts and added two blocks, including a solo rejection, with an ace.
Brennan Ramirez surpassed 1,000 career digs with 23 on Thursday, becoming the third DI Wildcat to reach four figures. She's tied with Madison Hoover for the most digs per set in DI history with 4.60 across 219 sets.Â
Aubrey Beaver and Alyssa Todd registered nine blocks apiece, while Hadlee Welch added eight kills with a team-high four blocks. Todd's 293 kills are the most in a season by an ACU freshman in the DI era and since 2012. Rachel Koss set them up for success with 52 assists, her sixth 50-assist performance of the season.
Abby Christian chipped in 14 digs. Five Wildcats tallied an ace at the service line, including a pair by Maddie Finnegan.
ACU scored the first three points of the match in the opening set and didn't look back on its way to a 25-20 win. The Wildcats kept the Sugar Bears at bay and used a 4-1 run to extend their lead to 24-19. They sealed the win following a set error by Central Arkansas. Four ACU players collected at least three kills, led by Gonzalez with kills on each of her four swings. Koss dished out 14 assists.Â
Central Arkansas was quick to answer with a 25-16 victory in the second set. The Sugar Bears led wire to wire and held off the Wildcats before scoring the final four points of the period. Gonzalez and Beaver each had three kills with Gonzalez adding an ace.
ACU rebounded in a big way with a 25-15 win in the third set. It took its first lead at 8-7 and remained in front the rest of the way. The Wildcats scored six straight points to make it an 18-10 game and later extended it to 22-13. They clinched the victory with kills by Beaver and Todd.
ACU swung at a remarkable .500 hitting percentage, turning 28 attacks into 17 kills. Thaler was perfect with each of her six attacks going for a kill. She also had a hand in two blocks. Gonzalez and Beaver combined for seven kills and each swung .600. Welch had a hand in each of the team's three blocks, while Koss assisted on 16 of the Wildcats' 17 kills.
Both teams were even in the early going of the fourth set before ACU rattled off six points in a row to grab an 11-6 edge. It built a 3-0 streak around the media timeout to strengthen its hold on the set to 17-9. The Sugar Bears fought back with four straight points to get to 22-19, but a Finnegan's second ace of the set sealed the deal with a 25-20 ACU victory. Four Wildcats had at least three kills, featuring four by Thaler. Koss had 13 assists.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
UCA
ACU
Kills
44
58
Errors
18
23
Attempts
132
133
Hitting %
.197
.263
Points
56.0
69.0
Assists
41
58
Aces
2
6
Blocks
10
5
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Thursday, November 12
Monday, November 09
Monday, November 09
Monday, November 09
