The Wildcats are headed to the Lone Star Conference tournament no matter what the results are this weekend.
Although the team is going to finish with a losing record in the conference (6-11 currently), they have done just enough to qualify for the tournament. The top eight finishers in the LSC move on to the tourney. The ‘Cats are currently tied for seventh in the standings with University of the Incarnate Word.
That does not mean the squad is less concerned with winning their last two matches of the regular season.
“Wins this weekend would give us a lot of momentum moving forward,” junior Madelyn Robinett said. “I think we’re going to get more confidence since the tournament is like a whole new season. When we get done with conference play it will be like we have a new slate.”
ACU’s first opponent this weekend is Cameron University. The match is Friday at 7 p.m. in Lawton, Okla. The last match of the regular season is Saturday at 6 p.m. against Midwestern State University. It will be played in Wichita Falls.
Live statistics will be available for both matches on the ACU Sports website.
“We’re playing both of these teams at their place,” head coach Kellen Mock said. “You can’t ever underestimate anyone at their own place.”
The Wildcats beat both the Aggies and Mustangs earlier in the year in Moody Coliseum. Cameron was defeated 3-1 (26-28, 25-23, 25-19, 27-25) while Midwestern lost 3-0 (25-14, 27-25, 25-23).
Coach Mock and her team have kicked up the intensity in practice the past two weeks to prepare for the final stretch of the season.
“We had a rough practice last week,” senior Kalynne Allen said. “It was a reality check for some of the younger girls who never had a practice where you run until you can’t go anymore. We had to pick up each other’s slack and that put a new perspective on things.”
“Everyone has the same mindset right now,” Robinett said.
It is the first time the ‘Cats will finish the regular season with a losing record since Mock took the reigns in 2006.
Despite the up and down season, the squad still knows they have something to play for.
“If we have the mindset that we’re going to win every point, we do really well,” Robinett said. “We have all the talent in the world we just have to put it together.”
“It would be awesome if we could go out with a bang,” she said.
