Wildcats hit road for pair

ACU to take on A&M-Kingsville, Tarleton State in key matches

KINGSVILLE -- ACU will return to action this weekend with a pair of critical Lone Star Conference South Division road matches.

The Wildcats will take on Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Steinke P.E. Center, and then follow that match with a match at Tarleton State at 2 p.m. Saturday in Wisdom Gym.  ACU is in third place in the LSC South behind West Texas A&M (4-1) and Eastern New Mexico (3-2).

The two matches are the first of five straight conference road matches between Thursday and Nov. 1.  After Saturday's match, ACU will be at home Tuesday for a non-conference match against Incarnate Word and then hit the road again for Angelo State (Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.), West Texas A&M (Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.) and Eastern New Mexico (Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.).

ACU will once again be without sophomore setter Lindsey Martin the match against Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Martin suffered a severely sprained ankle last Friday in the third game of ACU's win over Eastern New Mexico.  She did not play in ACU's loss to West Texas A&M, and she's likely to miss the match against the Lady Javelinas.  ACU head coach Brek Horn said she hopes to have her setter back for Saturday's match at Tarleton State.

Freshman Malia Plumlee has filled in nicely for Martin, putting up 120 assists in the two matches since Martin's injury (64 vs. West Texas A&M and 56 Tuesday night in ACU's win over Angelo State).

Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt continues to lead the team in kills with 425 to go along with 258 digs, which is second on the team behind junior libero Kellen Morrow's 360 digs.  Senior outside hitter Haylee Hartline has 312 kills, while sophomore middle blocker Amanda Slate has 261.