ABILENE, Texas – The McMurry University volleyball team won for the fifth time in its last seven matches by sweeping past Huston-Tillotson University, 3-0, at Kimbrell Arena. It was the sixth sweep of a match by the War Hawks (8-4) this season, topping the Rams (2-8) by set scores of 25-15, 25-14, 25-11.
McM set the tone for the match from the outset, jumping out to a 5-0 lead behind the serving of
Morgan Thomas and eventually built a 10-3 cushion , eliciting a timeout by HTU. With McMurry libero
Odalis Rodriguez serving, an HTU attack error closed out the set in the War Hawks' favor, 25-15.
The Rams kept matters close in set No. 2 in the early going. Huston-Tillotson trailed by just two points – 12-10 – midway through the set. A 7-2 run by McM would force another timeout by the visitors, 19-12. The War Hawks 6-2 streak to close the set made for a 24-14 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
In the third set, HTU led 4-1, before a service error by the Rams allowed the War Hawks to draw to within one at 6-5. At that point, McM junior
Madison Fatheree served eight-consecutive points – including three aces – as the host McMurry squad took the upper hand, 13-6. Leading 18-11, the match would end – much as it started – as Thomas served out the final seven points for the 25-11 score in set three and the sweep.
In all, McM served up 11 aces in the match. Fatheree finished with four aces, while
Jessica Cory, Thomas, and Rodriguez had two each. On the defensive side, Rodriguez had a match-high 16 digs and Thomas added 12, to go along with her 13 assists.
As a team, the War Hawks had a healthy .258 attack average, led by nine kills from senior
Catherine Heath. Holub chipped in six kills, with Cory and
Katy Headrick knocked down four kills apiece.
Audrey Sanders and
Elisha Libhart had three kills each.
Sanders also had a hand in three of McM's four blocks as a team. The McMurry front was a major reason that HTU was limited to a miniscule .009 attack average for the match.
McMurry will next be in action at Concordia University-Texas on Wednesday (Sept. 30) at 7 p.m.
