Wildcats set to battle Lady Hilltoppers

Tuesday's road match begins key stretch for ACU

AUSTIN -- ACU begins the stretch drive of the 2003 regular season Tuesday night when it goes to Central Texas to take on St. Edward's in a key match for the Wildcats' hopes of reaching the NCAA Division II Southwest Region Tournament.

The Wildcats and Lady Hilltoppers are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Recreation and Convocation Center on the St. Edward's campus.  After Tuesday's match, the Wildcats will go to Canyon on Friday to take on West Texas A&M and then conclude their road trip Saturday at Eastern New Mexico.

All three matches are regional matches for the Wildcats, who are 16-6 in the region and ranked eighth in the latest regional poll.  St. Edward's is ranked fourth in the regional poll, while West Texas A&M is ranked sixth.  The top six teams in the final regional poll will be invited to the regional tournament, Nov. 20-22, at a site yet to be determined.

ACU has never played in a regional tournament, but wins over St. Edward's and West Texas A&M would certainly boost the Wildcats' chances of playing in this year's tournament.

After Tuesday's non-conference match at St. Edward's, ACU will turn its attention to winning the Lone Star Conference South Division championship with road matches at West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico.  ACU is 5-1 in the division and percentage points behind the Lady Buffs, who sit atop the division at 6-1.  The Zias of ENMU sit right behind West Texas A&M and ACU at 5-2.

The Wildcats can win the LSC South Division championship by winning their final four conference matches of the season.  Four straight conference wins to close the season would give the Wildcats the right to host the LSC Post-Season Tournament, Nov. 13-15, at Moody Coliseum.

However, the Wildcats must first think about a St. Edward's team that has won 13 straight matches, including three straight last weekend at the Heartland Conference crossover tournament.  The last of those three straight wins was a 3-1 win over No. 22 Rockhurst, Mo., the Lady Hilltoppers' second win over a ranked Rockhurst squad this season.

St. Edward's (22-6 overall, 9-0 in the Heartland Conference and 5-5 against teams ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association top 25) is led by junior outside hitter Erika Figueiredo, who has 409 kills, a team-leading 270 digs and is hitting .293 on the season.  Senior outside hitter Leticia Campos has 315 kills, 264 digs and a .252 hitting percentage, while junior outside hitter Jamie Shackelford has 244 kills and is hitting .222 on the season.

Junior setter Anne Brito has 1,144 assists on the season (12.17 assists per game) and 245 digs for the Lady Hilltoppers, who are hitting .232 as a team.

Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt continues to lead the Wildcats' offensive attack with 499 kills (4.62 per game) and a team-best .296 hitting percentage.  Bernhardt is second on the club with 316 digs.  Senior outside hitter Haylee Hartline is second on the team with 372 kills, while sophomore middle blocker Amanda Slate

is third with 298.  Slate -- this week's LSC South Division Offensive Player of the Week -- is one of the top defenders in the LSC with 117 blocks on the season (30 solo) and a 1.08 blocks per game average.

Sopohomore setter Lindsey Martin returned to the lineup last week after missing four matches with a severely sprained ankle. Martin and her 1,079 assists (11.86 per game) will once again be in the starting lineup for the Wildcats, who will be looking for their sixth straight win and 16th win in their last 18 matches.

Sophomore libero Kellen Morrow -- who led ACU to wins last week over Incarnate Word and Angelo State to earn LSC South Division Defensive Player of the Week honors -- with 407 digs.