Friday, August 28
Abilene, Texas
7:30 p.m.
Abilene Christian
1-0,0-0WAC
3
vs
1
Lamar
0-2,0-0Southland
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar University | 15 | 21 | 27 | 7 | 1 |
| Abilene Christian | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Nataly Zuniga
ACU Uses Balanced Attack for Season-Opening Victory Over Lamar
8/29/2026 12:48:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ABILENE — Abilene Christian volleyball opened its 2026 campaign on a high note with a 3-1 victory over Lamar in the ACU Invitational at Moody Coliseum on Friday night. The Wildcats picked up their third season-opening win in the past four years thanks to a balanced attack that saw five players register at least eight kills.
ACU wraps up its home tournament with a pair of matches Saturday at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats meet Cal State Bakersfield for the first time in program history at 11 a.m. before taking on North Texas at 5 p.m.
ACU bookended its victory with a pair of dominant sets. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals 25-15 to get the night started, then closed it with a commanding 25-7 win. It marked ACU's fewest points allowed in a set since its debut Division I season in 2013.
"The girls came out with a lot of energy and they really played for each other tonight, so it was just really, really fun. It was a fun win," head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup said. "I think we just showed ourselves that if we can control the ball really well, then other teams are going to have a really hard time beating us."
Freshman Alyssa Todd shined in her first taste of collegiate action, contributing 12 kills with a hand in two blocks. Senior Aubrey Beaver delivered a team-high 13 kills, one of four Wildcats with double-digit kills. She had a hand in two blocks and nine digs.
"I think [Todd] played with a lot of confidence, and I think all the players around her really supported her well and it enabled her to do that," Moronu Alstrup said.
Avery Thaler was remarkably efficient with a .500 hitting percentage while tying her career high with 10 kills. Hannah Gonzalez tallied 10 kills of her own and matched her career best with six block assists. The Wildcats attacked at a .239 clip as a team.
"We've talked a lot about just playing as a team and everyone doing their job, and I think tonight really showed how well we can play together if we each just do our job, and it results in a really good win," Todd said. "Our middle [blockers] were pulling their middles on the block, so it really just opened up pin to pin."
Rachel Koss churned out 40 assists on ACU's 58 kills and tied her career high with four kills. Brennan Ramirez's 26 digs are second-most in her career. She had two service aces. Fellow 2025 WAC All-Freshman Team honoree Hadlee Welch collected eight kills and four block assists.
ACU wasted little time putting its offseason work on display. It began the match with an 11-2 lead after eight straight points and stretched its advantage to as much as 13 at 19-6. Todd sealed the Wildcats' 25-15 win with her third kill of the set. ACU hit .375 in the period as Koss served 12 assists and Ramirez had eight digs.
While the Wildcats led wire to wire in the opening set, the second frame featured 16 ties and seven lead changes. Both teams traded points until ACU found its momentum and ended the set on a 7-2 rally for a 25-21 victory. For the second period in a row, a trio of Wildcats had three kills apiece.
Both teams found themselves in another tightly-contested feud as Lamar fended off a sweep with a 27-25 win in the third set. Thaler powered ACU with six kills at an excellent .714 clip and a block assist. Beaver engineered five kills as well.
The Wildcats ensured the fourth set wasn't so close, racing toward a 25-7 victory. Todd and Welch turned each of their three attacks into kills, while Gonzalez chipped in three kills and three block assists. ACU built a hitting percentage of .524 and a sideout percentage of 85%. It rattled off nine points in a row for an 11-2 edge, then capitalized on an 8-0 run for a 20-4 lead. Freshman Isa Richardson's first career kill was part of a 4-0 rally to end the match.
ACU wraps up its home tournament with a pair of matches Saturday at Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats meet Cal State Bakersfield for the first time in program history at 11 a.m. before taking on North Texas at 5 p.m.
ACU bookended its victory with a pair of dominant sets. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals 25-15 to get the night started, then closed it with a commanding 25-7 win. It marked ACU's fewest points allowed in a set since its debut Division I season in 2013.
"The girls came out with a lot of energy and they really played for each other tonight, so it was just really, really fun. It was a fun win," head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup said. "I think we just showed ourselves that if we can control the ball really well, then other teams are going to have a really hard time beating us."
Freshman Alyssa Todd shined in her first taste of collegiate action, contributing 12 kills with a hand in two blocks. Senior Aubrey Beaver delivered a team-high 13 kills, one of four Wildcats with double-digit kills. She had a hand in two blocks and nine digs.
"I think [Todd] played with a lot of confidence, and I think all the players around her really supported her well and it enabled her to do that," Moronu Alstrup said.
Avery Thaler was remarkably efficient with a .500 hitting percentage while tying her career high with 10 kills. Hannah Gonzalez tallied 10 kills of her own and matched her career best with six block assists. The Wildcats attacked at a .239 clip as a team.
"We've talked a lot about just playing as a team and everyone doing their job, and I think tonight really showed how well we can play together if we each just do our job, and it results in a really good win," Todd said. "Our middle [blockers] were pulling their middles on the block, so it really just opened up pin to pin."
Rachel Koss churned out 40 assists on ACU's 58 kills and tied her career high with four kills. Brennan Ramirez's 26 digs are second-most in her career. She had two service aces. Fellow 2025 WAC All-Freshman Team honoree Hadlee Welch collected eight kills and four block assists.
ACU wasted little time putting its offseason work on display. It began the match with an 11-2 lead after eight straight points and stretched its advantage to as much as 13 at 19-6. Todd sealed the Wildcats' 25-15 win with her third kill of the set. ACU hit .375 in the period as Koss served 12 assists and Ramirez had eight digs.
While the Wildcats led wire to wire in the opening set, the second frame featured 16 ties and seven lead changes. Both teams traded points until ACU found its momentum and ended the set on a 7-2 rally for a 25-21 victory. For the second period in a row, a trio of Wildcats had three kills apiece.
Both teams found themselves in another tightly-contested feud as Lamar fended off a sweep with a 27-25 win in the third set. Thaler powered ACU with six kills at an excellent .714 clip and a block assist. Beaver engineered five kills as well.
The Wildcats ensured the fourth set wasn't so close, racing toward a 25-7 victory. Todd and Welch turned each of their three attacks into kills, while Gonzalez chipped in three kills and three block assists. ACU built a hitting percentage of .524 and a sideout percentage of 85%. It rattled off nine points in a row for an 11-2 edge, then capitalized on an 8-0 run for a 20-4 lead. Freshman Isa Richardson's first career kill was part of a 4-0 rally to end the match.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
Lamar
ACU
Kills
32
58
Errors
24
24
Attempts
138
142
Hitting %
.058
.239
Points
45.0
71.0
Assists
29
51
Aces
5
5
Blocks
8
8
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
6
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Sunday, August 30
Tuesday, August 25
Monday, August 24
Tuesday, August 04
