By Brian Roe, Sports Writer
A pair of Wildcats were honored for their play in the Lone Star Conference Crossover Tournament last weekend in Abilene.
Senior libero Kellen Morrow was named LSC South defensive player of the week, and junior outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt was named LSC South offensive player of the week for their performances last week.
Morrow and Bernhardt will look to lead the Wildcats again when the team hosts Eastern New Mexico on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.
Morrow had 63 digs (4.85 per game), six service aces, two kills and one assist in four matches last week. She posted 31 digs in a four-game win over three-time defending LSC North champion Central Oklahoma.
Morrow leads the Wildcats with 248 games in 63 total games this season. She also leads the team with 3.94 digs per game.
Bernhardt finished the week with 71 kills, 42 digs and six blocks during the four-match week. She also had her best game of the week against UCO, posting 23 kills and 21 digs.
The Wildcats were dominant in the crossover tournament and have a 17-1 record overall since the tournament’s creation in the 1999 season.
Bernhardt leads the team in kills with 295 and in kills per game averaging 4.61 a game. The Hereford native ranks in the top 10 in school history with more than 1,000 kills.
Head coach Brek Horn said when a player is honored by the LSC, she announces it in practice.
“It means something to a player when you are recognized because it shows your hard work is paying off and others are noticing,” Horn said.
Others are also noticing the Wildcats as the team has quietly improved its record to 14-5 this season. ACU, which was chosen in the preseason to finish second in the LSC South division, played its first conference match Thursday night against rival West Texas A&M.
Horn said the match against the Lady Buffs was important, but so is Saturday’s match against Eastern New Mexico.
“There’s a lot of hype around the West Texas match but it’s not the only match of the season,” Horn said. “Every match is important. If we beat West Texas but lost to Eastern New Mexico, we would still be 1-1. We can’t focus on only one match.”
