Thursday, November 5
Abilene, Texas
6 p.m.
Abilene Christian
17-8,9-4UAC
0
vs
3
Tarleton State
11-15,7-6UAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarleton St. | 25 | 25 | 29 | 3 |
| Abilene Christian | 22 | 23 | 27 | 0 |
Photo by: Kate Evans
11/6/2026 12:44:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ABILENE — Abilene Christian volleyball rallied in each set but couldn't seal the deal in a 3-0 loss to Tarleton State at Moody Coliseum on Thursday night. The Wildcats' four-match win streak came to a close as they suffered their first home loss since August.
ACU looks to bounce back against another in-state foe in UT Arlington at the College Park Center at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The Wildcats' final road match of the year will be streamed on ESPN+.
Avery Thaler charged ACU on both ends of the floor with an 11-kill, eight-block performance. The junior swung at an excellent .400 hitting percentage with a hand in each of the Wildcats' eight rejections at the net, including a solo block.
Alyssa Todd, the recipient of three straight UAC Freshman of the Week honors, followed with nine kills, a block and four digs. Hadlee Welch and Hannah Gonzalez combined for 14 kills as Welch chipped in three blocks. Rachel Koss delivered her sixth double-double of the season with a team-high 29 assists and 13 digs to go with an ace and two blocks.
Abby Christian continued her reign as the program's most dominant server with a trio of aces. Her 122 aces are the most in ACU's Division I history. She added 10 digs. Brennan Ramirez tallied 11 digs and five assists.
The Wildcats struck first in the opening set by scoring the match's first three points. The Texans answered with a 9-2 run to grab an 11-7 advantage. ACU rallied to knot the score at 18, then scored four points in a row to retake the lead at 22-21. Tarleton State turned the tide by scoring the final four points of the frame for a 25-22 victory. Five Wildcats collected three kills apiece, with Thaler also adding a pair of blocks. Koss set up ACU with 12 assists.
Both squads were even in the early going of the second set before a 7-2 Texan run put the visitors ahead at the media timeout, 15-10. Their lead stretched to 21-14 ahead of six points in a row by the Wildcats. Freshman Pierson Smith's second career ace evened the score at 23, but Tarleton State picked up the final two points in a 25-23 win. Thaler issued four kills and five blocks, while Welch delivered two kills and two rejections at the net.
ACU continued to fight in the third set as Tarleton State grabbed an early 8-2 edge, keeping the Wildcats at bay en route to a 17-11 advantage. ACU scored four straight points to get within a couple at 17-15, then mounted a 5-0 streak to reach set point at 24-23. The teams went back and forth with the Wildcats again reaching set point at 27-26. ACU couldn't complete the comeback as Tarleton State scored the final three points in a match-clinching 29-27 win.
ACU looks to bounce back against another in-state foe in UT Arlington at the College Park Center at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The Wildcats' final road match of the year will be streamed on ESPN+.
Avery Thaler charged ACU on both ends of the floor with an 11-kill, eight-block performance. The junior swung at an excellent .400 hitting percentage with a hand in each of the Wildcats' eight rejections at the net, including a solo block.
Alyssa Todd, the recipient of three straight UAC Freshman of the Week honors, followed with nine kills, a block and four digs. Hadlee Welch and Hannah Gonzalez combined for 14 kills as Welch chipped in three blocks. Rachel Koss delivered her sixth double-double of the season with a team-high 29 assists and 13 digs to go with an ace and two blocks.
Abby Christian continued her reign as the program's most dominant server with a trio of aces. Her 122 aces are the most in ACU's Division I history. She added 10 digs. Brennan Ramirez tallied 11 digs and five assists.
The Wildcats struck first in the opening set by scoring the match's first three points. The Texans answered with a 9-2 run to grab an 11-7 advantage. ACU rallied to knot the score at 18, then scored four points in a row to retake the lead at 22-21. Tarleton State turned the tide by scoring the final four points of the frame for a 25-22 victory. Five Wildcats collected three kills apiece, with Thaler also adding a pair of blocks. Koss set up ACU with 12 assists.
Both squads were even in the early going of the second set before a 7-2 Texan run put the visitors ahead at the media timeout, 15-10. Their lead stretched to 21-14 ahead of six points in a row by the Wildcats. Freshman Pierson Smith's second career ace evened the score at 23, but Tarleton State picked up the final two points in a 25-23 win. Thaler issued four kills and five blocks, while Welch delivered two kills and two rejections at the net.
ACU continued to fight in the third set as Tarleton State grabbed an early 8-2 edge, keeping the Wildcats at bay en route to a 17-11 advantage. ACU scored four straight points to get within a couple at 17-15, then mounted a 5-0 streak to reach set point at 24-23. The teams went back and forth with the Wildcats again reaching set point at 27-26. ACU couldn't complete the comeback as Tarleton State scored the final three points in a match-clinching 29-27 win.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
TSU
ACU
Kills
48
39
Errors
17
22
Attempts
118
121
Hitting %
.263
.140
Points
56.0
53.0
Assists
47
36
Aces
2
6
Blocks
6
8
Game Leaders
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Tuesday, November 03
Tuesday, November 03
Monday, November 02
Sunday, November 01
