Friday, September 4
Houston, Texas
12 p.m.
Abilene Christian
2-3,0-0UAC
3
vs
1
Houston Christian
1-4,0-0Southland
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Christian | 25 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 1 |
| Abilene Christian | 22 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Texas Southern Athletics
Todd Continues Sizzling Start in Wins Over Houston Christian, Texas Southern
9/5/2026 3:57:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON — Abilene Christian volleyball closed out its stay at the Houston Invitational with wins over Houston Christian and Texas Southern on Friday. The Wildcats picked up a pair of 3-1 victories at the Tigers' H&PE Arena behind standout performances from Alyssa Todd, Maddie Finnegan, Hannah Gonzalez and Brennan Ramirez.
ACU continues its road trip with a trio of matches in Oklahoma next week. The Wildcats visit Oral Roberts in Tulsa on Sept. 11 and 12 before battling the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Sept. 13.
Game 1: ACU 3, Houston Christian 1
The Wildcats began the day on a high note as the freshman Todd continued her shining start to her collegiate career. She led the way on offense with 14 kills at a .256 clip alongside two solo blocks and a service ace. Fellow newcomer Finnegan, a Westmont transfer, followed with a double-double featuring 11 kills and 10 digs.
On the defensive end, Ramirez matched her career best with 29 digs. Rachel Koss marked a new career high with six kills at a .429 attack percentage with 33 assists and an ace. Gonzalez tallied eight kills with three blocks, including a pair of solo rejections. Avery Thaler recorded two solo blocks of her own with five kills at .333.
Both squads were evenly matched in the early going as they traded points throughout the opening set. The teams battled to a tie at 22 before the Huskies secured the final three points of the frame for a 25-22 win. Thaler and Todd combined for seven kills and each rejected an attack on their own.
After breaking free of a 4-4 tie in the second set, a 5-1 run put ACU in front, 13-8. Houston Christian rattled off four consecutive points to knot the set at 16, but the Wildcats answered with a rally of their own, scoring five in a row to lead 21-16. The Wildcats stayed hot to close the set with a 25-21 victory and even the match.
Finnegan powered ACU with six kills, while Gonzalez added five of her own with a solo block. Koss had 10 assists.
ACU found another early run in the third set, rattling off five points in a row to break it open at 11-5. A 6-2 streak pushed the lead to 18-10, and a 5-1 rally later made it 23-15. Todd's kill finalized the 25-18 win and put the Wildcats in the driver's seat. It was one of four kills in the frame for the Aledo, Texas native.
ACU engineered another run in the fourth set to break an early stalemate. The Wildcats manufactured six straight points, including two kills and an ace by Koss. They kept the Huskies at bay for the remainder of the match, using a 6-1 run to move ahead, 23-14. Aliyah Jowers' third career kill and first of the season sealed a 25-15 win and a match victory. Todd had five kills in the final period while swinging .400.
Game 2: ACU 3, Texas Southern 1
Todd didn't slow down in the Wildcats' third match in two days, collecting a season-high 17 kills at a .300 attack percentage. She totaled 46 kills across the Houston Invitational and did so with a .313 attack percentage. Todd owns 68 kills through her first six matches, good for 3.24 kills per set.
Gonzalez complemented Todd with 14 kills at .308 and three blocks. Thaler was right behind with a career-high 11 kills at a highly-efficient .688 attack percentage, including no attack errors. The junior logged a solo block and two block assists. Finnegan and Hadlee Welch delivered eight kills apiece, with Finnegan adding two aces and 10 digs.
Koss continued her own strong start to her senior season with 50 assists and a couple of aces. She's averaging 9.08 assists per set after two weekends. ACU totaled 10 aces, their most since last September, also against Texas Southern. Six Wildcats logged an ace, including four with a pair versus the Tigers.
Ramirez racked up 25 digs with two service aces, while Abby Christian provided two aces herself.
The Wildcats found themselves in a tight opening set as it reached a draw at 14. ACU came out of it on a 9-1 rally to move ahead 23-15, but the Tigers responded with six straight points to make it 23-21. Kills by Todd and Thaler gave ACU the spark it needed for a 25-22 victory. Todd led the way with six kills, while Thaler, Gonzalez and Finnegan had three each. Koss assisted on 14 of the Wildcats' 18 kills.
Both teams were even through much of the second frame ahead of a 4-0 Texas Southern streak that put the home team ahead, 19-14. At 23-19, ACU gained a late surge, rattling off four points in a row to even the score at 23. The Tigers found two points in them to win 25-23 and even the match at one set apiece.
The Wildcats battled back from an early deficit in the third set to turn the tide in their favor. Texas Southern struck for a 10-5 advantage, but ACU whittled away at the deficit before an 8-1 series made the score 20-15 in its favor. The visitors sped toward a set victory, ending the frame on a 5-0 run for a 25-16 win.
Todd fueled the Wildcats with six kills at an excellent .857 attack percentage, while Gonzalez and Welch each chipped in five kills of their own. Gonzalez did so at an .833 clip. As a team, ACU swung .447 in the set behind Koss' 14 assists.
The Wildcats and Tigers grinded through the fourth set with neither side able to establish significant momentum. The period featured 16 ties and five lead changes until Finnegan and Todd notched consecutive kills to earn a 26-24 win and a match victory. Gonzalez and Thaler combined for nine kills alongside Koss' 13 assists.
ACU continues its road trip with a trio of matches in Oklahoma next week. The Wildcats visit Oral Roberts in Tulsa on Sept. 11 and 12 before battling the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Sept. 13.
Game 1: ACU 3, Houston Christian 1
The Wildcats began the day on a high note as the freshman Todd continued her shining start to her collegiate career. She led the way on offense with 14 kills at a .256 clip alongside two solo blocks and a service ace. Fellow newcomer Finnegan, a Westmont transfer, followed with a double-double featuring 11 kills and 10 digs.
On the defensive end, Ramirez matched her career best with 29 digs. Rachel Koss marked a new career high with six kills at a .429 attack percentage with 33 assists and an ace. Gonzalez tallied eight kills with three blocks, including a pair of solo rejections. Avery Thaler recorded two solo blocks of her own with five kills at .333.
Both squads were evenly matched in the early going as they traded points throughout the opening set. The teams battled to a tie at 22 before the Huskies secured the final three points of the frame for a 25-22 win. Thaler and Todd combined for seven kills and each rejected an attack on their own.
After breaking free of a 4-4 tie in the second set, a 5-1 run put ACU in front, 13-8. Houston Christian rattled off four consecutive points to knot the set at 16, but the Wildcats answered with a rally of their own, scoring five in a row to lead 21-16. The Wildcats stayed hot to close the set with a 25-21 victory and even the match.
Finnegan powered ACU with six kills, while Gonzalez added five of her own with a solo block. Koss had 10 assists.
ACU found another early run in the third set, rattling off five points in a row to break it open at 11-5. A 6-2 streak pushed the lead to 18-10, and a 5-1 rally later made it 23-15. Todd's kill finalized the 25-18 win and put the Wildcats in the driver's seat. It was one of four kills in the frame for the Aledo, Texas native.
ACU engineered another run in the fourth set to break an early stalemate. The Wildcats manufactured six straight points, including two kills and an ace by Koss. They kept the Huskies at bay for the remainder of the match, using a 6-1 run to move ahead, 23-14. Aliyah Jowers' third career kill and first of the season sealed a 25-15 win and a match victory. Todd had five kills in the final period while swinging .400.
Game 2: ACU 3, Texas Southern 1
Todd didn't slow down in the Wildcats' third match in two days, collecting a season-high 17 kills at a .300 attack percentage. She totaled 46 kills across the Houston Invitational and did so with a .313 attack percentage. Todd owns 68 kills through her first six matches, good for 3.24 kills per set.
Gonzalez complemented Todd with 14 kills at .308 and three blocks. Thaler was right behind with a career-high 11 kills at a highly-efficient .688 attack percentage, including no attack errors. The junior logged a solo block and two block assists. Finnegan and Hadlee Welch delivered eight kills apiece, with Finnegan adding two aces and 10 digs.
Koss continued her own strong start to her senior season with 50 assists and a couple of aces. She's averaging 9.08 assists per set after two weekends. ACU totaled 10 aces, their most since last September, also against Texas Southern. Six Wildcats logged an ace, including four with a pair versus the Tigers.
Ramirez racked up 25 digs with two service aces, while Abby Christian provided two aces herself.
The Wildcats found themselves in a tight opening set as it reached a draw at 14. ACU came out of it on a 9-1 rally to move ahead 23-15, but the Tigers responded with six straight points to make it 23-21. Kills by Todd and Thaler gave ACU the spark it needed for a 25-22 victory. Todd led the way with six kills, while Thaler, Gonzalez and Finnegan had three each. Koss assisted on 14 of the Wildcats' 18 kills.
Both teams were even through much of the second frame ahead of a 4-0 Texas Southern streak that put the home team ahead, 19-14. At 23-19, ACU gained a late surge, rattling off four points in a row to even the score at 23. The Tigers found two points in them to win 25-23 and even the match at one set apiece.
The Wildcats battled back from an early deficit in the third set to turn the tide in their favor. Texas Southern struck for a 10-5 advantage, but ACU whittled away at the deficit before an 8-1 series made the score 20-15 in its favor. The visitors sped toward a set victory, ending the frame on a 5-0 run for a 25-16 win.
Todd fueled the Wildcats with six kills at an excellent .857 attack percentage, while Gonzalez and Welch each chipped in five kills of their own. Gonzalez did so at an .833 clip. As a team, ACU swung .447 in the set behind Koss' 14 assists.
The Wildcats and Tigers grinded through the fourth set with neither side able to establish significant momentum. The period featured 16 ties and five lead changes until Finnegan and Todd notched consecutive kills to earn a 26-24 win and a match victory. Gonzalez and Thaler combined for nine kills alongside Koss' 13 assists.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
HCU
ACU
Kills
46
54
Errors
27
16
Attempts
158
157
Hitting %
.120
.242
Points
56.0
64.0
Assists
43
41
Aces
5
3
Blocks
5
7
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Tuesday, September 01
Monday, August 31
Sunday, August 30
Tuesday, August 25
