Thursday was a wake-up call. That’s what Coach Mock is calling it, and that is what her team is calling it.
“We realized every team is gunning for us,” said senior setter Ijeoma Moronu. “It was a reminder that every game we play has to be the only thing that’s on our mind.
The Wildcats almost suffered their first conference loss of the season Thursday, but the girls pulled out a five-set win against upstart Midwestern State. That wake-up call was enough for ACU as they went out and swept Cameron in their next match Saturday.
It looked like the ‘Cats were going to lose their shot at getting home-court advantage for the Lone Star Conference post-season tournament after falling behind to Midwestern 2-0. The Wildcats turned things around, however, and rallied for an epic five-set victory.
“We werent quite as mentally and physically prepared for Midwestern as Midwestern was for us,” Mock said.
Ijeoma Moronu may have played the best game of her career, scoring her first triple double. She recorded 51 assists, 24 digs and 10 block assists. Junior Jennie Hutt and senior Jordan Schilling both put up double doubles to aid in the victory.
But the comeback wasn’t without its tense moments. The ‘Cats survived a match point in the third set before winning the game 28-26. In the fifth and final set, the Wildcats didn’t even have a lead until the 13-12 mark. A kill by freshman Madelyn Robinett finally ended the match to give ACU its fifth victory in a row.
Win number 19 came much easier than 18 did. The Wildcats dominated the entire match against a 7-14 Cameron squad en route to a 3-0 victory. The second set told the story. The Wildcats had an attack percentage of .700 while holding the Aggies to -.029.
Senior Shawna Hines led the way in kills with 14 in the match. She also led ACU in points with 16.5 while contributing on the defensive end with five blocks.
The Wildcats will return to action Thursday at home against East Central in a crucial conference match. The rest of the Wildcats matches will be in the conference, so every win from now on is critical for the ACU’s overall standings.
This week the ‘Cats moved up to 20th overall in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll. It is the highest ranking for the Wildcats in the last two seasons.
