Demons journey to ACU for first midweek match

By: Brad Welborn, Assistant Sports Information Director

ABILENE, Texas – Opening weekend for Northwestern State volleyball was one in every of progress and acclimation for the seven gamers that gained their first Division I volleyball expertise.
 
While it was a weekend of firsts for almost all of the workforce, the factor that was not new was how the Demons (1-2) performed throughout all three matches. 
 
As they put together for a midweek tussle with Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. on ESPN+, head coach Ben Kaszeta expects to see that very same taking part in perspective as they proceed to achieve on-court expertise.
 
“I loved how we competed, but we have a lot to learn with a young group of kids,” Kaszeta mentioned. “We have some kids with some experience back but overall we still have some learning to do on the fine details of the game. But they competed hard and our scores got better from set to set as we went through those final two matches.”
 
The Demons received their season opener in 5 units in opposition to Tennessee State earlier than dropping in straight units to Memphis and USC Upstate. The encouraging level within the two losses was that intangible battle that each coach loves in regards to the groups which have it.
 
“I love the way we competed and supported each other all weekend,” Kaszeta mentioned. “I want them to go out, make big mistakes, try hard and not give up on a point. Anybody who watched us this past weekend knows that we did not give up on a single point. We fought to the very end.”
 
With every set the Demons scored extra factors than the earlier and commenced to see the indicators of gamers coming into their very own on the ground.
 
In her first collegiate match libero Emmarie McFarland recorded 29 digs. She added a 19-dig efficiency in three units to shut the weekend to common 6.0 digs per set in these two matches. Freshman outdoors Elsie Sanchez Oliver had 12 kills within the opener earlier than placing collectively an 11-kill, one-error outing within the closing in opposition to USC Upstate.
 
McFarland was joined by junior center Samaya Wesson, who tied for the workforce lead with senior center Deja Benjamin with 10 blocks on the weekend, on the all-tournament workforce.
 
Like the Demons, Abilene Christian went 1-2 on opening weekend of their house event the place they received the season opener 3-1 in opposition to Missouri State earlier than falling in 5 set to UIW and a straight set loss to Oklahoma.
 
The Wildcats’ libero, Brennan Ramirez, who additionally made her faculty debut and had 53 digs on the weekend, the identical quantity as NSU’s McFarland, was named WAC Libero of the Week for her efforts. She averaged 4.42 digs per set throughout three matches and 12 units. McFarland got here in with a 4.82 common in 11 units in her first weekend.
 
Abilene went 1-2 on opening weekend in a house event, profitable the season opener 3-1 in opposition to Missouri State earlier than falling in 5 units to UIW and a straight set loss to Oklahoma.
 
A Cal State Fullerton switch, Aubrey Beaver, led the Wildcat offense with 38 kills and a 3.17 per set fee. Beaver had 18 kills within the four-set win in opposition to Missouri State, however was held to 11 and a unfavorable hitting proportion within the five-set loss to UIW.