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
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.
That'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.
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.
De'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.
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.
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.
Set 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.
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
