Friday, August 21
San Angelo, Texas
3 p.m.
Abilene Christian
at
Angelo State
Photo by: Kevan Albright
ACU Takes On Angelo State in Final Preseason Match
8/20/2026 5:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Abilene Christian volleyball will face its final tuneup ahead of the 2026 season with an exhibition match versus Angelo State at 3 p.m. Friday. The Wildcats will meet the Rambelles at the Junell Center-Stephens Arena before kicking off the season at the ACU Invitational on Aug. 28-29.
ACU impressed in a home exhibition versus Texas Tech last week, taking two of five sets from the Red Raiders at Moody Coliseum. Hadlee Welch paced the Wildcats with 17 kills at a .417 clip, adding two block assists and four digs for 18 points.
Hannah Gonzalez and Aubrey Beaver, two of the program's seven seniors, collected 10 kills apiece, with Gonzalez adding a pair of blocks. She registered a .304 hitting percentage and is one of five seniors to remain in Abilene for four seasons.
Freshman Alyssa Todd was strong in one of her first tastes of collegiate action with nine kills at a .273 mark. Fellow first-year Pierson Smith chipped in 18 assists. Senior Rachel Koss led the way with 37 assists, and Brennan Ramirez turned in a team-high 27 digs.
The ACU Invitational kicks off the season Aug. 28-29 with matches against Lamar, Cal State Bakersfield and North Texas. The Wildcats host a second home tournament, the Wildcat Classic, Sept. 17-19 by hosting Louisiana Tech, Prairie View A&M and Stephen F. Austin.
The Wildcats enter their fourth season under head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup. The ACU Sports Hall of Famer steered the Wildcats to a historic campaign in 2025 as they collected 13 victories, their most since 2018. ACU picked up its first conference tournament victory since 2017 to reach the Western Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals.
Four Wildcats garnered All-Conference honors last season, the most in the program's Division I history. Gonzalez led the way with All-WAC First Team distinction, becoming the first Wildcat to be named to an All-Conference First Team since 2020-21. Koss collected All-WAC Second Team recognition, and Ramirez and Welch represented ACU on the All-WAC Freshman Team. It was the first time two Wildcats had been named amongst the top freshmen in the WAC.
ACU makes its debut in the United Athletic Conference in 2026, welcoming six new conference opponents along with Tarleton State and UT Arlington in the rebranding of the WAC. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and West Georgia join from the Atlantic Sun, while Little Rock makes the move from the Ohio Valley.
ACU impressed in a home exhibition versus Texas Tech last week, taking two of five sets from the Red Raiders at Moody Coliseum. Hadlee Welch paced the Wildcats with 17 kills at a .417 clip, adding two block assists and four digs for 18 points.
Hannah Gonzalez and Aubrey Beaver, two of the program's seven seniors, collected 10 kills apiece, with Gonzalez adding a pair of blocks. She registered a .304 hitting percentage and is one of five seniors to remain in Abilene for four seasons.
Freshman Alyssa Todd was strong in one of her first tastes of collegiate action with nine kills at a .273 mark. Fellow first-year Pierson Smith chipped in 18 assists. Senior Rachel Koss led the way with 37 assists, and Brennan Ramirez turned in a team-high 27 digs.
The ACU Invitational kicks off the season Aug. 28-29 with matches against Lamar, Cal State Bakersfield and North Texas. The Wildcats host a second home tournament, the Wildcat Classic, Sept. 17-19 by hosting Louisiana Tech, Prairie View A&M and Stephen F. Austin.
The Wildcats enter their fourth season under head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup. The ACU Sports Hall of Famer steered the Wildcats to a historic campaign in 2025 as they collected 13 victories, their most since 2018. ACU picked up its first conference tournament victory since 2017 to reach the Western Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals.
Four Wildcats garnered All-Conference honors last season, the most in the program's Division I history. Gonzalez led the way with All-WAC First Team distinction, becoming the first Wildcat to be named to an All-Conference First Team since 2020-21. Koss collected All-WAC Second Team recognition, and Ramirez and Welch represented ACU on the All-WAC Freshman Team. It was the first time two Wildcats had been named amongst the top freshmen in the WAC.
ACU makes its debut in the United Athletic Conference in 2026, welcoming six new conference opponents along with Tarleton State and UT Arlington in the rebranding of the WAC. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and West Georgia join from the Atlantic Sun, while Little Rock makes the move from the Ohio Valley.
Players Mentioned
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