SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team dropped its home opener in the fifth set against Abilene Christian, 3-2, Thursday evening inside the McDermott Center.  
 
Bethany Clapp led the Cardinals with 29 kills, 27 digs, and 3 assists. Pilar Gonzaba contributed to the offense notching a career-high 67 assists. The back line was led by freshman Britney Ong for the third time this season with a career-high 28 digs. 

"We had a really good fight tonight in another five-setter," said head coach Samantha Dabbs Thomas. "We have a young team, but these kids are hungry, and they are growing. We're going to keep training and playing at a higher level to play with a high IQ to make the big plays when it really counts so we can finish faster and sooner as a team."

"We're learning and growing every single day. We are going to go back and learn from this just like we have in the other two five-setters we've lost."
 
The match opened with a set that saw nine ties and five lead changes. ACU took the lead late in the first set posting a 4-1 run with the score at 23-19. Despite a late effort by the Cardinals to get within one, the Wildcats narrowly claimed the first set, 25-23.
 
The teams faced off in an intense second set stare down that featured 19 ties. Neither team looked like it would back down as they went point-for-point surpassing the 25-point mark. The Cardinals kicked it into fifth gear going on a 3-0 run off back-to-back points from Clapp capped off with one from Chase Jackson to claim set two, 31-29.  
 
UIW opened the third set with the same energy the ended the second taking off on an 8-2 run. The Cardinals allowed the Wildcats to tie the score just once in the set, but never conceded the lead to claim the third set.  
 
UIW found itself backed into a corner when ACU was up 24-20 in the fourth set. The Cardinals rallied back and tied the score up 24-all, off a kill by Taylor Henderson, forcing the Wildcats to call a timeout to regroup. Back-to-back kills from ACU's Beanna Box sent the game into the fifth set. 
 
ACU was off to a hot start with a 6-1 run in the fifth set forcing UIW to play catch up. Despite the Cardinals' getting within one, near the end of the set, the Wildcats responded accordingly to claim the set 15-12, and thus the match.  
 
UP NEXT 
The Cardinals host SFA on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. at the McDermott Center. 
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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