SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team looks to defend its home court once more when the Cardinals welcome Abilene Christian to the McDermott Center on Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT). UIW is riding a three-match home winning streak after sweeping Sam Houston State on Thursday. This match will conclude a stretch of five matches in nine games for the Cardinals. They are 2-2 thus far.

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LAST TIME OUT

• UIW swept SHSU, 3-0, to improve its SLC record to 2-2.
• Freshman setter Pilar Gonzaba recorded 42 assists, a new season high. It was also the most assists than any player in the conference has achieved in a three set match this season.
• She recorded nine digs in a stellar defensive effort, matching a season high. She has now earned nine digs in four matches this season, including each of her last two.
• Freshman outside hitter Bethany Clapp continued her torrid stretch as of late. She finished with 18 kills, matching a season and career high, originally set against EWU (9/15).
• That's the most kills from a UIW freshman in a conference match since Oct. 22, 2015 (senior outside hitter Autumn Lockley – 22 vs. McNeese).
• Clapp has now recorded 151 kills this season, becoming the first freshman to have eclipsed the 150-kill plateau since Lockley.
• Speaking of Lockley, she made her SLC debut to the tune of 13 kills on .385 hitting, a season-best percentage for her.
• Sophomore outside hitter Julia Monday delivered another admirable performance, collecting nine kills and two aces.
• Senior outside hitter Maddie Slaughter led the team with .500 hitting and six kills. She also added two solo blocks, including a critical block to tie the score at 23-23 in the third set.
• Freshman middle blocker Carissa McGarity turned in a season-defining effort on the front line, getting five blocks for the first time in conference play and just the second time all year (also @UTRGV 9/4).
• Sophomore libero Madelynn Miller finished with 15 digs and helped hold SHSU to just .139 hitting throughout the evening.
• As a team, UIW hit .297, its best attacking percentage in an SLC match since Oct. 22, 2018 (vs. New Orleans - .352).

 
CERTIFIED FRESH

• The Cardinal freshmen have asserted themselves as one of the top all-around freshman classes in the conference.
• Clapp has established herself as a premier offensive weapon on the outside. She leads the team with 151 kills, including 58 in four SLC matches. Her 3.28 kills per set is the best among freshman in theconference, and fifth best overall.
• She posted an .824 hitting percentage in UIW's victory over Alcorn State (9/15), the best attacking percentage for a single match in the conference (minimum of 12 kills)
• Clapp has now posted double-digit kills in each of her last six matches, marking the longest such streak since Lockley posted 12 consecutive double-digit kill performances in 2016.
• McGarity sits among the top freshmen in the SLC with 0.92 blocks per set played. She also leads the team with 44.0 blocks this year.
• Gonzaba and Kilchrist have each eclipsed the 200 assist mark this season. Gonzaba currently leads the team at 259 assists to Kilchrist's 205.
• Kilchrist averages 7.59 assists per set, ranking sixth best in the SLC and second best among freshman.
• Gonzaba sits third best among freshmen in the conference, and eighth best overall, with 7.00 assists per set.

 
Southland Hospitality

• UIW has a 2-2 SLC record.
• Three of the Cardinals' conference matches have gone to four sets (1-2), with the lone three-set match ending in a UIW victory (vs SHSU 9/27)
• The offense has been a well-rounded attack, with Lockley (4.33), Clapp (3.87), Monday (3.00) and Slaughter (2.50) each averaging at least 2.5 kills per set.
• Gonzaba leads the team with 100 assists, the fourth most assists in the conference. She is averaging 9.09 assists per set in SLC play, the best among freshmen, and the eighth best overall.
• Miller has been on top of her game on the back line. She has played in all 15 sets in conference play, amassing 68 digs along the way.

 
SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN

• The Wildcats enter Saturday's match with a 5-9 record and are 2-0 in SLC matches. They enter after a 3-1 victory over McNeese in Abilene.
• They are led offensively by Jacey Smith (152 kills) and their senior setter, Kendall Bosse. Bosse averages 11.14 assists per set in conference play, the second best in the conference.
• ACU leads the all-time series, 19-9, but the last meeting went to UIW by a score of 3-1 (Nov. 9, 2017). UIW holds a 3-2 advantage over ACU at the McDermott Center since joining the SLC.

 
UP NEXT
UIW will enjoy a few days of rest before going back on the road to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Oct. 4 (6:30 p.m.). That is followed with a Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) match, on the road against Houston Baptist.
 
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