KISSIMMEE, Florida – Day two of the NCCAA National Championship Tournament pool play didn't go exactly the way that the McMurry University volleyball team had planned it, but at the end of the day, the War Hawks split two matches to earn a sport in the NCAA National Championship tournament semi-final. McMurry fell, 3-1 to Trinity Christian before defeating Bethel College, 3-2 on Friday evening.
 
In the first contest of the day, the War Hawks fell flat against the #3 seeded Trolls of Trinity Christian, 3-1 (26-28, 10-25, 25-20, 25-27).
 
Trinity came out fast in the first set, jumping out to a quick, 7-1 lead. However, McMurry countered that attack with a 9-3 run of its own. Two kills from Kayla Hines, as well as two combined blocks from Taylor Seaton and M.J. Vickers helped pull the War Hawks even.
 
After Trinity pulled ahead by two at 12-10, the War Hawks went on another mini run, to take their first lead of the set, 13-12 on a kill from Vickers. The teams would then trade runs and points as the set saw ties at 16-16 and 19-19 before the War Hawks took a 24-22 lead on a kill from Hines. However, three attack errors from the War Hawks allowed Trinity to come back to take set one, 28-26.
 
After the War Hawks fell behind, 2-0, by dropping set two, 25-10, McMurry battled back to capture set three, 25-20. McMurry controlled set three, allowing the Trolls to lead just once, at 8-7 before pulling away from Trinity late.
 
With McMurry still on the ropes, and behind, 2-1, Trinity put on the pressure, jumping out to a 10-4 lead in set four. McM showed its resilience in the contest, however, by going on a massive, 13-1, run to take a 17-11 advantage. During the run, the War Hawks received two kills from Seaton and three from Kelsey Harkins to take the six-point advantage. With McMurry poised to send the game to a fifth set, up 24-19, Trinity exploded for an 8-1 run that handed McM the 27-25 set loss, and the 3-1 defeat in the match.
 
Offensively, McMurry was led by Hines, who had her best match of the season with 13 kills and just two errors. Her previous high was 10 against Dallas Baptist on September, 29. Hines was joined in double-figures by 12 kills from Vickers. Peyton Evans added five kills while setting-up 41 assists.
 
Defensively, the War Hawks totaled 14 team blocks. Evans, Kasi Conners and Seaton all finished with five block assists, and Vickers tallied two solo and four assisted blocks.
 
Three players finished with double-digit digs, led by 21 from Ayssa Garica and 16 by Ruby Jane Johnson. Vickers finished with her second double-double of the tournament adding 12 digs to her 12 kills.
 
In the second game of the day, the War Hawks faced a “win or go home” situation against four-time, NCCAA national champion Bethel College. McMurry responded to the challenge, defeating the Pilots, 3-2 (25-14, 17-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-10).
 
McMurry came out firing on all cylinders, as they trailed just once in set one on their way to a convincing 25-14 victory.
 
After dropping set two, 25-17, McMurry and Bethel played a very tough set three. In a set that saw numerous ties and lead changes, the Pilots just edged out the War Hawks, 25-23, to take the advantage in the set, 2-1.
 
McMurry, with its back against the wall, and fighting for its tournament life, fought hard in set four. The teams once again traded leads multiple times, but McM found itself down 18-17 in the set before flipping the switch on a 4-0 run that proved to be the difference in the set, and the War Hawks took set four, 25-21.
 
In the deciding fifth match, McMurry trailed just once, falling behind 2-0 early. After taking a 4-3 lead, McM outscored the Pilots 11-7 to close out the set, 15-10 and take the match, 3-2.
 
Vickers led the way in the contest for the War Hawks, notching her third double-double in four matches, finishing the day with 19 kills and 19 digs. Hines broke double-digit kills for the second time in the day, finishing with 11. Harkins and Conners each finished with eight and Evans collected 41 assists.
 
Defensively, Conners led the way with two solo and six assisted blocks, and Evans collected four assisted blocks.
 
Garcia finished the contest with 24 digs, and Bailey Wilson added 23 in the win.
 
“We had an outstanding team effort tonight,” remarked head coach Cammie Petree. “It was do our die tonight, and right now we are thanking God for the opportunity to play again tomorrow for a chance at the national championship.”
 
With the victory, the War Hawks moved to 3-1 in pool play, and clinched the number-one seed out of Pool B for the NCCAA national tournament semi-finals.
 
Shorter University out of Pool B also finished pool play with a 3-1 record, but due to McMurry's, 3-1, victory over Shorter yesterday, the War Hawks earned the top-seed in Pool B.
 
The other two teams competing for the NCCAA National Championship are Fresno Pacific and Campbellsville University. The Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific ran through Pool A, going 4-0 as the overall number-one seed in the tournament and will play Shorter in the first semi-final.
 
The War Hawks will take on Campbellsville University, which needed to win one extra matches in a tiebreaker playoff with Southern Wesleyan. Both teams, as well as Oakland City ended pool play with 2-2 records. McMurry and Campbellsville will square off in the second semi-final to be held at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.