Box Score

ABILENE, Texas – In a season finale that saw two teams separated by only five miles tied for the American Southwest Conference West Division lead at 5-2; McMurry University snapped a six-match losing skid to cross-town rival Hardin-Simmons in five sets to win the ASC West Division regular season title for the first time since 2002.

McMurry's M.J. Vickers led the War Hawks with 16 kills and 16 digs to accompany a .366 hitting percentage, and she helped put away the Cowgirls in the fifth and final set. The War Hawks took a 25-15, 28-30, 18-25, 25-17, 15-13 win and defeated HSU for the first time since Oct. 22, 2008.

Kasi Conners, a sophomore blocker, matched her season-high with 11 blocks and set the school's single-season record for blocks at 157 passing Lyndsey Llwellyn's record of 155 set in 2003.

Stephanie Henry and Bailey Marcum aided Vickers with 13 and 11 kills respectively. Marcum added 16 digs in the match and was the third person with a  double-double along with Jasmine Qualls who added 11 digs and 21 assists. Demi Holladay helped pace McMurry's .222 hitting effort with a 22 assists.

The McMurry defense held its opponents to a .080 hitting percentage and the War Hawks out-blocked HSU 15-6 and set a season-high. The Cowgirls Madison Reyes recorded a game-high 20 kills.

McMurry fell behind in the fifth and final set 5-1 capped off by a Cowgirl service ace. Following a War Hawks timeout, McMurry went on an 8-1 run before the score was knotted at 13 McMurry scored the next two points to take the final set. The final point a Brandi Barber kill that assisted by Jasmine Qualls.

The War Hawks will enter the new format of the ASC Championship Tournament Nov. 3-5 that now includes a double-elimination format. McMurry will conclude the regular season Monday at 7 p.m.  against NCAA Division II UT-Permian Basin.

HSU fell to 21-5 overall and 15-3 in league play while McMurry moves to 26-2 and 16-2.