Wildcats open LSC South Division play

ACU to host key matches against Zias, Lady Buffs

ABILENE -- ACU, which has won eight of its last nine matches, will open Lone Star Conference South Division play at home this weekend when it hosts Eastern New Mexico and West Texas A&M at Moody Coliseum.

The Wildcats and Zias will play Friday at7 p.m., while ACU will host West Texas A&M at 2 p.m. Saturday.  The Zias enter the match at 7-11 overall and 2-1 in LSC South play after losing a four-game match at home Tuesday to the Lady Buffs.  West Texas A&M will play at Angelo State Friday night and enters that match at 17-5 and 3-0 and riding a nine-match winning streak.

The Lady Buffs, however, enter the weekend unranked in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association top 25 for the first time since 1995.  West Texas A&M somehow fell out of this week's poll, despite a nine-match winning streak and the continuation of its now 77-match winning streak over conference opponents, an NCAA Division II record.

But before the Wildcats think about the Lady Buffs, they must first contend with a Zia squad that took the Lady Buffs to four games at home Tuesday night before losing.  ENMU is led by Anna Bellum, who has 260 kills for the season and is third in the LSC in kills per game at 4.13.  She is also 10th in the league in digs per game at 3.51.  She was named LSC South Division Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday after averaging 5.5 kills per game and hitting .331 as the Zias went 2-1 last week.

"We've already talked two or three times about how dangerous Eastern New Mexico can be," ACU head coach Brek Horn said.  "We can't get totally up for Friday night and then be flat on Saturday, or vice versa."

The Lady Buffs come calling Saturday afternoon, and they'll bring a 20-match winning streak over ACU with them.  The Wildcats haven't beaten West Texas since 1993 when they went on to finish 33-8.  The last time ACU took a game off West Texas A&M was at home in 2000.

"I don't know if I've ever gone against West Texas A&M -- playing or coaching -- when they weren't ranked," Horn said.  "But that poll means absolutely nothing to me, because they're still a very good team.  But, it is nice to not have to look at them and see that they're ranked No. 1 in the nation or No. 4 in the nation coming into our match.

"I know they want to beat us bad, and we want them," she said.  "I've gone into each of our matches in the past thinking we could win, but I think if we play the way we can play, we have a great chance Saturday."

The Lady Buffs are led by senior all-America setter Kendra Morgan, who sat out one of her team's matches last week with an injury, but returned Tuesday to record 39 assists and 14 digs in the win over ENMU.  Morgan has already recorded four triple-doubles from the setter position this season.

She leads the LSC in hitting percentage (.375) and has 140 kills and 306 digs to go along with 904 assists.  She is second in the LSC in assists per game (11.59) and third in total assists.  Freshman outside hitter Ambra Clark is having a fine first season with the Lady Buffs, hitting .279 on the season with 291 kills (23 in the win over ENMU), while senior libero Kacie Hyatt is averaging a league-leading 4.9 digs per game on a league-leading 399 digs (27 vs. ENMU).

ACU, meanwhile, is paced by sophomore outside hitter Melissa Bernhardt, who leads the team with 370 kills (second-best total in the LSC behind Cameron's Kelsey Kosick) and in hitting percentage at .297 (third in the LSC behind Morgan and Cameron's Amy Wallace).

Sophomore setter Lindsey Martin leads the LSC in both assists (959) and assists per game (11.84), making this weekend's match against the Lady Buffs the showdown between the two best setters in the league.

Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Slate is seventh in the LSC in hitting percentage at .271 and third on the club in kills with 236.  Senior outside hitter Haylee Hartline is second on the team with 254 kills to go along with 123 digs.  Junior libero Kellen Morrow leads the team in digs with 292 and is ninth in the LSC in digs per game at 3.56.