Wildcats drop first three matches

ACU off to 0-3 start after tough weekend in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. -- The ACU Wildcats knew the start to the 2005 volleyball season would be a challenge, and that theory was proven correct Friday and Saturday at the Tampa Classic as they dropped all three matches to open the season.

ACU lost Friday to No. 9 Tampa (30-21, 30-25, 30-24), and then lost twice on Saturday, first to No. 7 Central Missouri State (30-27, 30-18, 30-25), and then to traditional NCAA Division II Southwest Region powerhoust Metro State (30-25, 22-30, 30-24, 25-30, 17-15).

The Wildcats' early season schedule doesn't get any easier when they return to the court next weekend at the Premier Challenge in Denver, Colo.  ACU will take on No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul before playing Regis on Friday.  The Wildcats' Saturday opponents will be determined after pool play has been completed.

ACU was without head coach Brek Horn, who spent the week at home after giving birth to a daughter last Monday.  Horn is expected to be back with the Wildcats next weekend in Denver.

The Wildcats had a chance to pick up a win in the third match, taking as much as an 11-8 lead over Metro State in the fifth and deciding game of the match.  However, Metro came back to tie it at 13-13 before ACU took a 14-13 lead and was looking at match point.

But Metro's Renee Hazlewood made the first of a couple big plays in the late stages of the match, coming up with a kill to tie it at 14-14. But ACU senior outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt -- who had 47 kills in the three matches -- came up with the last of her 20 kills in the match to give ACU a 15-14 lead.

But the Roadrunners scored the final three points on a kill by Hazelwood to tie it at 15-15, and a kill by Sheena McLaughlin to take a 16-15 lead.  Metro won it when ACU's Allie Watts had an attack error on match point.

ACU senior setter Lindsey Martin notched 109 assists on the weekend, helping push her into the top spot on ACU's career assists chart, passing Horn's younger sister, Brittney Binder, for the No. 1 spot.  Binder finished her career with 4,296 assists, and Martin finished the weekend with 4,311 assists.