Wildcats Journey to SFA Tournament in First Street Journey of Season

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Abilene Christian volleyball hits the street for the primary time this season because it competes within the SFA Tournament, hosted by Stephen F. Austin at Shelton Gym on Friday and Saturday.

ACU meets Sam Houston at 11 a.m. Friday earlier than taking over the host Ladyjacks later within the day at 5 p.m. The Wildcats shut out the match versus Louisiana at 11 a.m. Saturday. ACU’s match with Stephen F. Austin will be streamed on ESPN+.

The Wildcats goal to place a dent into their collection deficits towards every opponent. ACU trails Sam Houston, 5-10, and Stephen F. Austin, 2-14. It has met Louisiana simply twice, dropping each matches. The Wildcats final met every opponent in 2022, with third-year head coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup having not coached towards any of the three groups.

ACU carries a 2-2 file into the weekend after breezing by a sweep of Northwestern State at Moody Coliseum on Wednesday. Its protection grew to become the story of the evening, because the Wildcats’ 25-9 victory within the opening set marked their second-fewest factors allowed in a set in this system’s Division I period and fewest since 2013.

Sophomore Annaleise Sevier paced the Wildcats with 9 kills versus the Lady Demons, whereas redshirt freshman Courtney Church set a profession excessive with eight. With environment friendly performances, each landed throughout the prime 10 within the Western Athletic Conference for hitting proportion, with Sevier in seventh (.276) and Church in tenth (.259).

Junior Aubrey Beaver’s seven kills raised her team-leading whole to 45, good for seventh within the WAC with 3.00 per set. Junior Hannah Gonzalez’s 2.33 kills per set are tied for tenth within the convention.

Redshirt sophomore Erika Gustafson’s three solo blocks gave her seven for the season, third-most within the nation in her first season with the Wildcats. Her 1.45 blocks per set rank second within the WAC, whereas Gonzalez’s 1.20 are tied for seventh.

Fresh off garnering Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above WAC Libero of the Week honors, redshirt freshman Brennan Ramirez’s 57 digs and three.80 digs per set are good for third within the league.

Beaver and juniors Abby Christian and Izabelle Larson tallied three service aces apiece on Wednesday, putting every throughout the WAC’s prime 10 for aces per set. Beaver rose to second with 0.50, whereas Christian tied for third and Larson drew for eighth. A 26-assist outing for junior Rachel Koss led her to 3rd within the convention with 7.60 assists per set.

Beaver, Gustafson and Ramirez are every transfers of their first seasons with ACU, whereas Church redshirted her freshman yr in 2024.

The Wildcats rank throughout the prime three within the WAC in various classes, together with second in opposing hitting proportion in (.139) and repair aces per set (2.00). ACU ranks third in hitting proportion (.179), kills per set (11.73), assists per set (10.87) and blocks per set (2.40).

Collectively, the Wildcats’ 176 kills, 30 aces and 36.0 blocks are every second-most within the convention and rank throughout the nationwide prime 40.

Sam Houston boasts Conference USA’s second-most digs per set with 16.54, rating thirty first within the nation and powered by Shaelin White’s 5.23. The Bearkats’ 24 aces by three matches are within the nationwide prime 50, whereas their 161 kills are second in Conference USA.

Stephen F. Austin’s energy is discovered within the serving recreation, because it ranks sixth within the nation with 2.86 aces per set. The Ladyjacks lead the Southland Conference in hitting proportion (.277) and kills per set (14.00) and are simply as adept on the web. Their 2.42 blocks per set rank second within the league, with Molly Cravens and Kyanna Creecy within the particular person prime three for the statistic.

Stephen F. Austin is coming off a 24-9 marketing campaign with a 14-2 mark within the Southland. The Ladyjacks superior to the second spherical of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. It started this season with wins over UTSA and Texas State.

Louisiana’s 13.50 kills and 12.67 assists per set every rank second within the Sun Belt Conference. Both Chelsea Gilmore and Gigi Smith are throughout the prime 10 within the Sun Belt in hitting proportion. The Ragin’ Cajuns are on the heels of a 3-0 weekend that featured wins over Texas Southern, Tarleton State and New Orleans.