Saturday, November 14
Abilene, Texas
12 p.m.
Abilene Christian
19-9,11-5UAC
0
vs
3
Eastern Kentucky
26-2,16-0UAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Ky. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Abilene Christian | 21 | 21 | 18 | 0 |
Photo by: Kobe Ridgeway
11/14/2026 3:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
ABILENE — Abilene Christian volleyball closed out the regular season with a 3-0 loss to United Athletic Conference champion Eastern Kentucky at Moody Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats now prepare for the UAC Volleyball Championship as the No. 3 seed in Little Rock, Ark. ACU will meet No. 6 UT Arlington in the first round at the Jack Stephens Center at 6 p.m. Thursday. If the Wildcats win, they'll face No. 2 North Alabama in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship match is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Each matchup of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN+.
ACU (19-9, 11-5) wraps up the regular season with the program's most wins in the Division I era and since 2011. It's the Wildcats' most conference victories since 2016. They put together a 10-4 record at Moody Coliseum, their most home wins since 2009. ACU's 8-5 record on the road features its most victories since 2010.
Avery Thaler and Hannah Gonzalez, each ranked within the UAC's top 10 for hitting percentage, led the way with nine kills apiece. Thaler swung at a .421 clip, while Gonzalez continued the efficiency with a .350 percentage. Thaler had a hand in six of ACU's eight blocks, with Gonzalez adding two rejections of her own with an ace.
Hadlee Welch and Aubrey Beaver followed with seven kills each. Welch had two blocks, and Beaver, one of seven seniors honored in a postmatch ceremony, chipped in six digs. Fellow seniors Izabelle Larson and Abby Christian combined for 17 digs. Rachel Koss dished out 33 assists with two blocks and seven digs.
Eastern Kentucky, who capped an undefeated run through conference play, found early momentum with a 15-9 edge at the media timeout. A 4-1 run extended the lead to 22-13 before ACU answered with a rally of its own. The Wildcats scored eight of the next 10 points to make it a 24-21 game, but the Colonels used a kill to seal a 25-21 win. Thaler fueled ACU with three kills and contributed to each of its four blocks.
The Colonels built another strong start with a 9-4 advantage in the second set. Eastern Kentucky rattled off four straight points to move ahead, 20-13, but an 8-3 streak by the Wildcats got them within a couple points at 23-21. The Colonels scored the next two points to pick up another 25-21 victory. Welch and Beaver had four kills apiece, while Gonzalez added three of her own with an ace. Koss assisted on 14 of the Wildcats' 15 kills.
ACU put together a hot start to the third set to grab an 8-4 lead. A 6-1 Eastern Kentucky run evened the score at 10 and pushed it ahead at the media timeout, 15-11. The Wildcats got back within a few points at 21-18, but the Colonels closed the set with four points in a row, sealing the sweep with a 25-18 win. Gonzalez and Thaler had four kills each with no errors and combined for three blocks.
The Wildcats now prepare for the UAC Volleyball Championship as the No. 3 seed in Little Rock, Ark. ACU will meet No. 6 UT Arlington in the first round at the Jack Stephens Center at 6 p.m. Thursday. If the Wildcats win, they'll face No. 2 North Alabama in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship match is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Each matchup of the tournament will be streamed on ESPN+.
ACU (19-9, 11-5) wraps up the regular season with the program's most wins in the Division I era and since 2011. It's the Wildcats' most conference victories since 2016. They put together a 10-4 record at Moody Coliseum, their most home wins since 2009. ACU's 8-5 record on the road features its most victories since 2010.
Avery Thaler and Hannah Gonzalez, each ranked within the UAC's top 10 for hitting percentage, led the way with nine kills apiece. Thaler swung at a .421 clip, while Gonzalez continued the efficiency with a .350 percentage. Thaler had a hand in six of ACU's eight blocks, with Gonzalez adding two rejections of her own with an ace.
Hadlee Welch and Aubrey Beaver followed with seven kills each. Welch had two blocks, and Beaver, one of seven seniors honored in a postmatch ceremony, chipped in six digs. Fellow seniors Izabelle Larson and Abby Christian combined for 17 digs. Rachel Koss dished out 33 assists with two blocks and seven digs.
Eastern Kentucky, who capped an undefeated run through conference play, found early momentum with a 15-9 edge at the media timeout. A 4-1 run extended the lead to 22-13 before ACU answered with a rally of its own. The Wildcats scored eight of the next 10 points to make it a 24-21 game, but the Colonels used a kill to seal a 25-21 win. Thaler fueled ACU with three kills and contributed to each of its four blocks.
The Colonels built another strong start with a 9-4 advantage in the second set. Eastern Kentucky rattled off four straight points to move ahead, 20-13, but an 8-3 streak by the Wildcats got them within a couple points at 23-21. The Colonels scored the next two points to pick up another 25-21 victory. Welch and Beaver had four kills apiece, while Gonzalez added three of her own with an ace. Koss assisted on 14 of the Wildcats' 15 kills.
ACU put together a hot start to the third set to grab an 8-4 lead. A 6-1 Eastern Kentucky run evened the score at 10 and pushed it ahead at the media timeout, 15-11. The Wildcats got back within a few points at 21-18, but the Colonels closed the set with four points in a row, sealing the sweep with a 25-18 win. Gonzalez and Thaler had four kills each with no errors and combined for three blocks.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
EKU
ACU
Kills
46
38
Errors
16
17
Attempts
121
106
Hitting %
.248
.198
Points
63.0
48.0
Assists
45
38
Aces
6
2
Blocks
11
8
Game Leaders
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Thursday, November 12
Monday, November 09
Monday, November 09
Monday, November 09
