Never let up. That’s what head women’s volleyball coach Kellen Mock preaches, and the Wildcats practiced it this weekend at the ACU Classic, winning all four of their matches.
“We maintained our intensity and kept our momentum throughout the matches,” Mock said. “We had our low points, but that’s the nature of the sport. We played really well. The girls proved to themselves they can play at a high level.”
The Wildcats were 1-3 before the tournament and facing some stiff competition in the Classic, but they did not seem to remember the fact. The women built momentum in the first match of the tournament, beating Western State 3-1. Although they lost one of the four games, the contest was never in question. The losing match only built up to the most important match of the evening, ACU vs. Pittsburg State.
Pitt State came into the match as the 17th team in the nation. They walked away from the match with their first loss of the season. Those expecting a close competition, however, were disappointed. ACU won handily 3-1, frustrating Pitt State with picture-perfect setting and killer spiking.
“We needed to play like that,” Mock said. “We put the ball away a lot better [than last weekend].”
The Wildcats’ win was a team effort, though there were some key players. The star was Jordan Schilling. She racked up 17 kills and 13 digs, not to mention three service aces against the Gorillas.
“It’s great to see her play where she belongs,” Mock said. “She played great on the inside for us last year, but she is a natural on the outside. She came into her own this weekend.”
Schilling was forced to play on the inside last year because of injuries. This year, she is exactly where Mock wants her. Schilling led the Wildcats in kills, scoring 57 throughout the course of the ACU Classic.
The four wins vaulted the Wildcats record to 5-3 going into the Lady Patriot tournament hosted by Dallas Baptist University. The Wildcats expect tough competition.
“This next weekend will challenge us,” Mock said. “We have now set a standard, and we have to stick to it. We need to control every match.”
The Wildcats will play four non-conference games, two against Southwest Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello on Friday and two against Southern Arkansas and host Dallas Baptist on Saturday.
