Wildcats hit road with title in sight

ACU can inch closer to title with road wins

CANYON -- The ACU volleyball team started the season with the stated goal of knocking four-time Lone Star Conference champion West Texas A&M from its perch atop the league standings.

This is the weekend the Wildcats can make that goal a reality.

ACU (5-1 in the LSC South) is right behind the Lady Buffs (6-1 in the LSC South) in the league standings with only percentage points separating the two teams, who will play Friday night at 7 p.m.

An ACU win over West Texas A&M and another win Saturday at Eastern New Mexico would give the Wildcats a one-game lead over the Lady Buffs with only conference cellar-dwellers Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville left on the schedule.

But the task ahead of the Wildcats is not an easy one, especially when one considers that the Wildcats have lost 21 straight matches to West Texas A&M and haven't won a match over the Lady Buffs since October 1993.

West Texas A&M also enters Friday's match coming off a 3-0 sweep of Eastern New Mexico on Tuesday night that improved the Lady Buffs to 24-6 overall and 7-1 in the LSC South Division.  Thevictory also pushed the Lady Buffs' home-court winning streak to 40 matches and gave head coach Tony Graystone his 160th win as the West Texas A&M head coach, setting the school record.

The Wildcats saw their five-match winning streak snapped Tuesday night with a five-game loss at St. Edward's.  The Lady Hilltoppers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to knock off the Wildcats in a key NCAA Division II Southwest region match.

Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt continues to lead the Wildcats with 518 kills and a .290 hitting percentage.  The native of Hereford had 23 kills in ACU's four-game loss to West Texas A&M back on Oct. 11, and had 12 kills on Oct. 10 in ACU's three-game win over Eastern New Mexico.

Senior outside hitter Haylee Hartline has 388 kills, while sophomore middle blocker Amanda Slate has 309 kills.  Sophomore setter Lindsey Martin has 1,125 assists, which is second in the LSC.  Junior libero Kellen Morrow leads the club with 423 digs.