Box Score
ASC Tournament Web Site

SEGUIN, Texas – Bennie Smith's 12 kills paced a .250 hitting effort and McMurry University cruised into the semi-finals round of the American Southwest Conference postseason volleyball tournament Friday defeating East Texas Baptist 25-21, 27-25, 25-19 at Susan Duke Court.

McMurry has now defeated the Tigers in three out of the last four seasons to open the ASC tourney, but recorded its first sweep. McMurry, the No. 3 seed from the west division, advances to play the hosts and No. 1 west seed Texas Lutheran in the semi-finals round at 7:30 p.m.

If McMurry were to beat TLU, it would mark the first time since 1997 that McMurry has reached the ASC title game when the program won its only ASC championship. TLU defeated McMurry twice during the regular season, and has claimed seven ASC West Division titles since 2007.

Smith hit .545 with no attacking errors on 22 attempts and was one dig shy of a double-double. Bailey Marcum mandie Moore and M.J. Vickers all had nine kills apiece. Jasmine Qualls paced that effort with 40 assists in the three-set match.

Defensively, McMurry's nine team blocks and Sarah Anding's 24 digs helped keep the Tigers at a .124 hitting mark. In the losing effort Amy Wooten and Ashley Lindsay had 13 and 12 kills respectively. ETBU's season ended with an 11-19 record, and the Tigers exit as the No. 2 seed from the east division.

Terah Brown's five assisted blocks in the match put the senior at 497 for her career. She already eclipsed the 1,000 kills mark for her career earlier this season and will need three blocks Friday night to reach 500. Marcum led all players with six assisted blocks.