ABILENE, Texas – McNeese volleyball's postseason hopes took a big hit on Thursday night when the Cowgirls dropped a 3-0 straight set match to Abilene Christian in Southland Conference action by scores of 25-16, 25-22, 25-22.
 
The loss means the Cowgirls (11-16, 4-11) must defeat first place and unbeaten Stephen F. Austin in Saturday's season finale, then get help in order to make it to the league tournament.
 
ACU (6-19, 4-11) is fighting for its own postseason hopes and kept those alive with the win and avenging an earlier season loss to the Cowgirls.
 
Alexis Lambert led the Cowgirls offensively with 11 kills but as a team, McNeese managed just 40 slams and hit .173 while the Wildcats posted a .270 hitting percentage and were led in kills by Lorin McNeil's 13 while Kennedy Shelstead added 12. Both players hit over .500 for the match – Shelstead at .526 and McNeil with a .524 mark.
 
ACU dominated the first set, winning by a 25-16 score.
 
The Cowgirls battled in the second game and held a 16-13 lead after a Lauren Burt kill. Then with a 17-15 lead following a kill by Macee Krpec, ACU rolled off three straight points to go up 18-17, then added another three-point run following a Cowgirl point, to go up 21-18.
 
McNeese managed to pull to within 23-22 after a Regan Staiwalt kill but the Wildcats closed out the game with kills from Eighmy Dobbins and Marybeth Sandercox to take the three-point win.
 
ACU jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start the third game and held a comfortable lead until the Cowgirls began chipping away and tied the game 16-16 with four straight points.
 
The game was tied 19-19 when ACU scored two straight points off a McNeese service error and a McNeil kill.
 
McNeese got a point back following a timeout on a Lambert kill to make it a 21-20 game, and it was 22-21 after a Stiawalt kill before ACU scored its final three points on three McNeese errors – two attacking and one service, to close out the match with a 25-22 win.

McNeese will visit Stephen F. Austin at 1 on Saturday.