ABILENE, Texas – It was a rough match from the endline and at the net for the Lamar University volleyball team, and those errors led to the 3-1 loss (23-25, 25-21, 16-25, 25-19) for the Cardinals at Abilene Christian Thursday night at Moody Coliseum in Southland Conference action.
 
LU (12-6, 2-2 Southland Conference) served up 14 service errors, which tied the most the Cardinals have had in league play this season, and only six service aces.  The other 14-error match was at Sam Houston State, also a loss. As a team, LU hit for a .170 hitting percentage with 50 kills and 26 attack errors in 141 attempts.
 
After it dropped the first and tied it with a game two victory, the Cardinals and Wildcats sat in a 14-14 deadlock in the third set.  After ACU (3-15, 3-2 SLC) rattled off five straight points, they were able to close the set for a 2-1 lead. In that five point swing, LU was blocked three times and recorded one reception error.
 
In the fourth set, ACU only had a one-point advantage over Lamar (8-7), but seven-straight points later the Wildcats built a lead Big Red could not overcome. Those seven points consisted of three errors (one service) and two reception errors by the Cardinals.
 
The second set was much better for Lamar with a .342 hitting percentage and 76-percent sideout mark. The Wildcats grabbed a quick 1-0 lead, but after the Cardinals tied it at 1-1 ACU never saw the lead again. Though both teams went back-and-forth and were tied at 17-17, third tie of the set, LU went on a 7-2 run to make it 24-19.
 
Chelsea Grant led all players and notched her second-straight 17-kill match on 27 attacks and a .481 hitting percentage. Cortney Moore recorded her fifth double-digit kill contest with 13 and a .273 hitting mark. Autumn Taylor had nine kills, both Nicole Parish and Amy Hollowell each had four and Murielle Hlavac had three.
 
Defensively, the Cards had their lowest block total of the Southland Conference season at five, Grant had four total. Lauren Stahlman had 17 digs and Haley Morton had a team-high 24 assists.
 
Abilene Christian recorded a .262 hitting percentage and 49 kills in the match.  Offensively, it was led by Kendall Bosse with 14 kills and Jacey Smith with 11. The Wildcats accounted for 11 blocks, led by Lauren Walker at six.
 
Thursday's loss drops the Cardinals to 1-4 in opponent's gyms and 4-6 away from McDonald Gym.
 
Lamar returns to action on Saturday at 2 o'clock when it takes on the Cardinals of Incarnate Word. After that match, LU opens a four-match homestand with Sam Houston State on Tuesday at McDonald Gym.