SAN ANTONIO -- The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team got off to a hot start, but the Cardinals ultimately fell, 3-2, to Abilene Christian on Saturday afternoon at the McDermott Center. Senior outside hitter Autumn Lockley set new career highs in kills (26) and hitting percentage (.476).
 
NOTABLES

• This was the first five-set match of the season for UIW.
• Lockley produced a team-best 26 kills, a new career high.
• This was Lockley's second 20+ kill performance of 2018 (also vs UTEP (8/24)).
• Lockley also led the team in attack percentage, hitting .476. This is the best attacking percentage of her career when recording 10 or more attacks.
• Freshman outside hitter Bethany Clapp recorded her second collegiate double-double, hitting 14 kills and recording a season-best 18 digs.
• Freshman setter Pilar Gonzaba earned her first collegiate double-double with 54 assists and 12 digs, both season-best numbers.
• Her 54 assists surpassed her previous season-best mark (42), set just two days ago vs. SHSU.
• Additionally, her 12 digs exceed her previous best (nine), set four times this season (most recently vs. SHSU (9/27)).
• Gonzaba has now produced 96 assists in her last two matches, averaging 12 assists per set.
• Freshman middle blocker Carissa McGarity set a new season high in blocks with six. She posted one solo and five assisted blocks in the match.
• Sophomore libero Madelynn Miller led the team with 27 digs. It was the third time this season she has achieved 20+ digs.
• Miller has now registered 201 digs this season.
• Sophomore defensive specialist Alyssa Carlin collected double-digit digs today (10) for this first time this season and the fifth time in her career.
• The loss ends a stretch of five matches in nine days for the Cardinals. They finished the stint 2-3.

 
SET 1 (27-25) | Both teams established strong offensive attacks in the opening set. The set was even throughout, but ACU found itself ahead, 22-19, late. UIW responded with a 4-1 run to tie the set (23-23) due, in large part, to the efforts of Lockley. The Wildcats had back-to-back set points, but kills from sophomore outside hitter Julia Monday and Lockley tied the set, 25-25. An attack error from ACU gave UIW a set point and the Cardinals immediately capitalized to seize momentum and the set win. Lockley led the team with six kills on .500 hitting. Clapp added five kills with a team-leading nine digs. Gonzaba assisted on all 17 Cardinal kills. In all, there were 11 ties and six lead changes in the set.
 
SET 2 (28-26) | The second set provided just as much excitement as the first. There were 15 ties and 11 lead changes, culminating in ACU earning two set points (24-23 and 26-25). In both instances, UIW turned to Lockley, who delivered clutch kills to tie up the set. Lockley kept to it, earning her 15th kill of the match to give UIW its own set point before an ace from Monday clinched the set. Lockley led the team with nine kills.
 
SET 3 (25-27) | The Cardinals jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the third set, but ACU responded, eventually tying the match at 17-17. UIW had match point (24-23), but two straight Wildcat points took the lead away for good. Lockley defended the set point with a kill, but eventually, ACU broke through to win the set. Lockley led the team with five kills.
 
SET 4 (21-25) | UIW enjoyed another fast start, leading 7-3, but ACU answered with an eight-point run to claim the 11-7 advantage. UIW tied the score, 18-18 off the continued efforts of Lockley, Clapp and Monday. Another run from ACU ultimately secured the set and extended the match to five sets. Lockley led the team with five kills, while McGarity contributed three blocks in the set.
 
SET 5 (6-15) | ACU jumped out to a 6-1 lead and never trailed, completing its comeback and winning the match.
 
 
HEAR FROM COACH SAMANTHA DABBS
"Clapp and Lockley both played solid on the outside. Clapp got served almost every ball and did a really nice job handling almost every serve. Lockley is performing in critical situations for us and scoring points when we really need them. Pilar is starting to really get the hang of our offensive system and running it nicely. 
 
Our team overall did a nice job. ACU is a very veteran team and really strong in transition. They never backed down even when they were down 0-2. 
 
We learned a lot this weekend about our team and were challenged by two good conference teams. 1-1 on the weekend is good but we want more and will keep putting in the work to be playing our best volleyball come November."
  
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.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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