ABILENE, Texas – In its first game versus an American Southwest Conference team for 2015, the McMurry University volleyball team scored a huge victory by sweeping past crosstown foe Hardin-Simmons University, 3-0, at HSU's Mabee Complex. A crowd of 792 – a majority of which were clad in the Maroon & White – saw the War Hawks (4-2) win by scores of 25-21, 25-16, 25-10 over the Cowgirls (1-4).
 
McM took control from the outset, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in set No. 1, before HSU was able to get on the board. The Cowgirls eventually knotted the match at 16-16. The key point of the set came with the War Hawks up 19-17. McM's Katy Headrick had her attack attempt blocked by the HSU defenders and the ball appeared headed to the floor. However, McMurry's junior libero Jessica Cory pushed the ball back over the net to an open spot, instead extending her team's advantage to 20-17. McMurry would go on to win 25-21.
 
While HSU took an early lead in set No. 2, McM battled back to reserves course and pull ahead, 12-7, and force a Cowgirls' timeout. McMurry never looked back in the 25-16 pasting in the second set.
 
With its back to the wall in the third set, Hardin-Simmons had its largest lead of the night – 11-7 – that caused McMurry head coach Cammie Petree to take a timeout to regroup her squad. A 5-2 run by the War Hawks elicited an HSU timeout, with the hosts still on top, 13-12.  But McM kept chipping away and caught the Cowgirls at 17-17.
 
With matters still in doubt in set No. 3 at 20-20, a sideout gave McMurry the 21-20 cushion. Bethany Holub would serve out the last four points, as McMurry closed out the set – and match – by a 25-20 score to complete the sweep.
 
Catherine Heath led all players with nine kills, while posting three blocks, as well.  Headrick and Audrey Sanders each registered eight kills. Sanders had a hand in six of McMurry's eight blocks as a team.
 
Cory, Jessica Tennis and Holub each made seven digs on the defensive half. Morgan Thomas added six digs. Thomas had a match-leading 22 assists and Holub added two of McM's five aces as a unit.
 
McMurry will next host Howard Payne University on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.