BELTON, Texas – McMurry University volleyball battled back from a 2-1 deficit, but came short at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-2. The War Hawks fell by set scores of 25-22, 20-25, 17-25, 29-27, 12-15 at the Mayborn Campus Center.
 
In set one, the War Hawks jumped ahead quickly, leading 8-3. The Crusaders chipped away to close to within two points at 11-9, before eventually cutting it to a single point at 16-15. But UMHB would get no closer as the War Hawks closed out the set with a Katy Headrick kill, 25-22.
 
The second set saw UMHB lead early, before McM tied the match at 6-6. Trailing 10-7, the War Hawks had four unanswered points to elicit a Cru timeout.  UMHB would pull away down the stretch – with the War Hawks only able to get to within two points (22-20) – as the hosts won a 25-20 decision.
 
Set three belonged to the Cru, but in set four the War Hawks roared back. McM led – or was tied – until UMHB knotted the set at 16-16 and built up a 20-16 lead.  McMurry hung close and tied it at 23-23 when Morgan Thomas dumped over a fake set for a kill.  The teams traded points, eventually working their way to 27-27.  A serve error by the Cru put the War Hawks ahead, 27-28, before a service ace by Odalis Rodriguez gave McM the set, 29-27, to force the deciding fifth set.
 
McMurry built an 8-5 cushion in set five when the teams changed sides. A 9-3 run flipped the final set in favor of UMHB, with the Cru finishing off the 15-12 win.
 
Cory finished the match with 13 kills and a .222 attack average. Cory also had six digs and a service ace. Catherine Heath added 12 kills to go along with a .296 attack average, as well.
 
Lauren Heathcote booked 11 kills and Katy Headrick 10 kills. Headrick led the War Hawks front line with a .476 attack average.
 
Heath had a team-best four blocks, while Headrick and Audrey Sanders had three blocks, each.
 
Defensively, Rodriguez amassed 18 kills and served up a total of three aces. Bethany Holub and Jessica Tennis had 15 and 12 digs, respectively.  Holub narrowly missed a double-double with nine kills, to go along with a pair of aces.
 
Setters Tennis and Thomas combined for 51 assists, with Tennis giving out 26 "helps."