The Wildcats won their first conference game of the season Thursday night in five sets, bringing their conference record to 1-2. 

This win comes after two tough road losses, in which the team traveled to Utah Tech and Southern Utah. The Wildcats lost both of those matches in straight sets, and Head Coach Ijeoma Moronu Alstrup said her team had much to improve on. 

“I think there’s a lot of things we can fix on our side,” she said. “First ball touch, primarily, and then also just being more efficient with our offense.”

In Thursday’s game against California Baptist University, the team accomplished what Moronu Alstrup wanted. The Wildcats had their highest point output of any game this season, and their hitting percentage was the third-highest of the season. 

Nieko Thomas, redshirt junior middle blocker from West Hills, California, said her progress in the weight room has been helpful in her hitting. 

“Our strength coach is really working us, and I see a difference in my arm and in my swing,” she said. 

Thomas had five kills on 12 attempts in Thursday’s match, hitting .250 overall. 

In addition to Thomas’ good hitting night, two other middle blockers had strong games. Moronu Alstrup said she believed that her middles would have a good weekend, both in this game and Saturday’s.

“I think our middles have the potential to have really good weekends, if we put them in the right positions and they stay aggressive,” she said.

Hannah Gonzalez, sophomore from Lucas, and Avery Thaler, freshman from Fairfield, each hit .273, and both had several blocks in the match against CBU. 

Bryley Steinhilber, senior outside hitter from Kennedale, hit .333 with 19 kills in what Moronu Alstrup said she hoped would be a bounce-back game. 

“Even though Bryley didn’t have her best matches [last weekend], she still stayed very resilient and continued to be a good leader,” Moronu Alstrup said. “I think that she’ll have a good weekend.”

Thursday’s match against CBU took five sets to decide a winner, even though the Wildcats won the first two. 

“I really thrive off of that competition and that high level of play,” Thomas said. 

The team will play its second match of the season at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Seattle University.