The Wildcats extended their losing streak to five games over the weekend against two Lone Star Conference teams. The team has lost 15 straight sets during this streak.
The ‘Cats lost to University of the Incarnate Word on Friday, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-9). The team then traveled to Kingsville to face Texas A&M University-Kingsville and lost, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-22).
“In both matches this weekend, you could see we were a little down on ourselves and had a lack of confidence,” head coach Kellen Mock said. “The goal this week in practice is to build that confidence level back up.”
“The girls are definitely feeling a lot of pressure right now,” she said. “They all have the expectation that this should be a winning season. There is a lot of fire among the team to get the season fixed.”
ACU’s record dropped to 4-11 overall and 1-6 in the LSC.
In the UIW match, senior Kalynne Allen and sophomore Sara Oxford tied for the team lead in kills with seven. Freshman Corrie Reeder took part in five blocks and finished with seven points.
The Cardinals had an early 5-0 lead in game one, however the Wildcats stormed back with a 12-5 run and took a two-point lead at 12-10.
Incarnate Word eventually tied the score and from there, the two teams fought through several more ties.
Mock said the team came out firing on all cylinders against Incarnate Word.
“It was the best first game we’ve played all year,” she said. “The first set we came out on fire which was good to see. The team has been starting matches slow lately so for them to be pushing early in the match was an improvement.”
“But we lost intensity as the match unfolded,” Mock said. “After the 10 minute break, we came back and didn’t put up much effort in the third game. It was a disappointing loss.”
ACU deadlocked the score at 20-20 on a kill by Reeder but, UIW scored the final five points to end the set.
In the second set, the Cardinals made another late run to pull away after leading by just three at 21-18.
Mock said the ‘Cats have been helping opponents when they go on scoring streaks.
“We’re helping those teams by making hitting errors along the way,” she said. “We’ve got to learn how to be in control at the right time.”
The win on Saturday for Kingsville was their first in LSC play.
Allen, freshman Jennie Loerch and Oxford each had five kills for the ‘Cats in that match. Sophomore setter Haley Rhoads had 10 assists.
The team returns home this weekend for the four-team, two-day ACU / Whitten Inn Classic. The tournament will feature five matches between ACU, Midwestern State University, Cameron University and The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
The squad plays MSU at 5 p.m. on Friday, Cameron at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Texas-Permian Basin at 3 p.m., Saturday.
Junior Madelyn Robinett is expected to be back on the court this weekend. She has been out with a broken arm since the Colorado School of Mines match on Sept. 7.
