ABILENE, Texas – McMurry University's women's volleyball team opens up American Southwest Conference play against Howard Payne in Brownwood at 7 p.m. Tuesday night. The War Hawks are off to their best start in school history at 8-0 while the Yellow Jackets enter with a 4-4 record.

McMurry's M.J. Vickers leads the charge with 99 kills and 109 digs through the first eight matches while Bailey Marcum has 80 and 148 respectively. The War Hawks are hitting .266 as a team, which ranks second in the ASC through Monday.

Howard Payne's Tamika Heline leads the Yellow Jackets' offensive attack with 111 kills through eight matches while libero Kristin Hammond ranks eighth in the conference in digs with 143. HPU is hitting .159 as a team.

The only common opponents the teams have played this season are Texas College, which both McMurry and the Yellow Jackets took care of in three sets and Austin College. The 'Roos defeated HPU Friday in three sets while McMurry took down Austin College in four sets Saturday at the Austin College classic.

McMurry swept the season series last year with the Yellow Jackets with a 3-1 win Sept. 14 and a 3-0 win Oct. 7.