ACU volleyball will be playing their final Southland game of the year today. The Wildcats will be heading to San Antonio to face off against former Lone Star Conference rival, Incarnate Word. The two schools moved to the Southland Conference at the same time.

Lexi Mercier says the team wants to play well and get back at Incarnate Word after it lost to them in straight sets over Homecoming weekend.

“I think it will be a battle and we will try to get revenge on them since we played them earlier on this season,” she said.

The Wildcats hit a few bumps in the road along the way this season, but they have competed strongly in every game, giving the Southland Conference a taste of things to come. The Wildcats have multiple freshmen and sophomores that received significant playing time this year and should give ACU a solid team for the future. ACU will be bringing in a 6-15 overall record with a 2-11 conference record.

The ‘Cats will be relying heavily on Lexi Mercier, who leads the Southland in blocks per set. They will also rely on sophomore libero Madison Hoover, who averages 4.71 digs per set.

Incarnate Word had played a little better than the Wildcats this year, reflected by their record of 11-11 and 6-7 in conference. They have shown their ability to play well even after making the move to Div. I.

Head coach Kellen Mock said Incarnate Word has been impressive so far.

“They are a frustrating opponent because they are undersized and they look a little bit more like a Div. II team, but they play big. They fought hard and they have made a better showing in the conference part of that is from the play of some of their older players,” he said.

A win this Friday would mean a lot to the ‘Cats, especially since they will play Incarnate Word the last game of the season in Arizona.