18-8,10-3WAC
Abilene Christian
9-15,3-9WAC
Kats sweep ACU in Round 1 of WAC Tournament
11/18/2021 1:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
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The top-seeded Bearkats (18-8) had fallen to the Wildcats (9-15) in four sets just two weeks prior to Thursday's match, but avenged that loss behind 13 kills from Catherine Krieger and a dozen from Ashley Lewis.
ÂThat'll do it!! The Kats close out the sweep of ACU and advance to tomorrow's WAC Tournament semifinals!
— Sam Houston Volleyball (@BearkatsVB) November 18, 2021
They will take on the winner of Grand Canyon/UTRGV at 5 p.m. CT on Friday for a berth in the title match. #EatEmUpKats #NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/wKgQKFFDjt
Sam Houston now awaits the winner of No. 4 Grand Canyon and No. 5 UTRGV in tomorrow's semifinal, a match set for 5:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+ with a berth to the WAC Tournament championship match on the line.
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The Kats hit just .186 as a team for the match, but dominated the service line and got 33 of its 40 kills from the outside-hitting trio of Krieger, Lewis and Breanne Chausse. In all, Sam Houston finished with a 7-0 advantage in service aces, topped by three from Madeline McKinney.
ÂDe'Janae Gilmore with the 5th Bearkat service ace to cap a 4-0 scoring run by the Kats.
— Sam Houston Volleyball (@BearkatsVB) November 18, 2021
Sam Houston up 10-9 in Set 3. #EatEmUpKats #NCAAVB
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Krieger, meanwhile, led all players with her 13 kills, doing so on 25 swings without an error (.520) in an effective showing. Lewis posted her 12th straight double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs, while Chausse tallied eight kills and 12 digs with six scores coming in the second set.
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Morgan Janda added 32 assists and Hannah Baker had a match-high 15 digs. Additionally, Sam Houston finished with a 10-8 advantage at the net, led by six total blocks from McKenzie Morvant. De'Janae Gilmore and Chausse also added four each.
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The Kats were outstanding late in sets throughout the match, a theme that showed up early in Set 1 when SHSU and ACU were tied at 17-17 before the Kats reeled off an 8-2 run to finish things off.
ÂSet 1 goes to the Kats!
— Sam Houston Volleyball (@BearkatsVB) November 18, 2021
Morvant cleans up an over pass on set point and Sam Houston goes up 1-0 with a 25-19 win in Set 1. #EatEmUpKats #NCAAVB
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Sam Houston scored five of the final six points of Set 2 to run away from the Wildcats despite it being just a 1-point set at 20-19, but it was the final run in Set 3 that defined the morning. The Kats trailed 19-17 before a kill from Krieger got the Kats going, sparking an 8-0 run to end the match.
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Hear what @SHVBBGRAY84 had to say after the Kats' 3-0 sweep of ACU this morning in Las Cruces. #EatEmUpKats #NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/hG6bCOcajc
— Sam Houston Volleyball (@BearkatsVB) November 18, 2021
