MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The McMurry volleyball team got its season rolling in impressive fashion Saturday as they won a thrilling marathon match against No. 13 Austin College, 3-2, before sweeping No. 29 Rhodes College (Tenn.) at the Rhodes College Invitational. 

 

McMurry will vie to complete the four-match sweep at the Rhodes College Invitational on Sunday as they take on Randolph College (Va.) at 10 a.m. before finishing the invitational against Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) at noon.

 

In its back-and-forth contest against Austin College, McMurry trailed two sets to one before battling back in the last two sets to take the match 25-23, 15-25, 20-25, 25-22, 16-14.

 

Three McMurry players finished with double-digit kills against Austin College. Senior outside hitter Erica English paced McMurry's attack with a team-high 14 kills, while junior middle blocker Terah Brown added 13 kills and junior outside hitter Danielle Kelton finished with 12 kills. Kelton finished with a double-double as she also added 22 digs.  

 

Other top performers for McMurry were junior setter Shannon Higgins, who distributed the ball well with a team-high 30 assists; sophomore libero Sarah Anding, who had a team-high 27 digs; and Brown, who added five blocks (three solo and four block assists) to her 13-kill performance.

   

“I'm real proud of the girls for being determined and never giving up,” McMurry head coach Cammie Petree said. “(McMurry's match against Austin College) was an extremely tight match and we did a great job of hanging in there and getting a big victory.”

 

McMurry used a balanced attack in its 26-24, 25-20, 25-22 win over host school Rhodes College. Kelton led McMurry's effort with 12 kills, while Brown and sophomore middle blocker Mandie Moore added eight apiece. Higgins again led McMurry with 28 assists, while Anding finished with a team-high 16 digs and 4.5 blocks (three solo and three assists). Sophomore defensive specialist Sandy Heim also had a solid match with 11 digs.