AUSTIN, Texas – Two of the hottest volleyball teams in the American Southwest Conference went head-to-head on Tuesday night, but McMurry University ultimately dropped a 3-1 decision at Concordia Texas on Tuesday in Austin.

Both teams entered on three-game win streaks, but the War Hawks were unable to keep theirs alive. CTX took control early with a decisive set one win and did the same in set three, but McMurry handled the second set with a 25-16 win.

McMurry was on the verge of forcing a fifth set with a 20-17 lead, but the Tornados charged back ahead and clinched the match early.
Concordia moves to 7-7 in the conference standings and holds on to sixth place, while the War Hawks drop to a 5-9 conference record and remain in eighth place. The top six teams will receive a bid for the ASC Championships in November.

Concordia Texas 3, McMurry 1 (13-25, 25-16, 13-25, 22-25)

Summary: The Tornados used a 48-30 kill advantage in the win, but McMurry hung around with eight service aces and matched CTX with four blocks. In the second set, McMurry capitalized on 11 kills and three service aces, but were unable to completely swing momentum. Kaylie Vasil led the team in kills for the 13th time this season, finishing with 11. Madison Cuellar had a team-best 13 digs, while Vasil, Cuellar and Adile Leal each had two aces. Senior Myranda Salcedo led the War Hawks with 13 assists.

Set 1: The Tornados jumped out to a 7-0 run and controlled the first set with a .321 attack percentage on 13 kills. The War Hawks had just five kills, but had blocks from Megan Martinez and Allissa Rodriguez in the opening frame.

Set 2: Kaylie Vasil opened the second set with an immediate kill, and McMurry started on a 4-0 run. The score was later tied 7-7, but McMurry would use a CTX service error to pull ahead and never lose the lead again. Vasil had six kills in the frame and also had the final service ace to clinch the set. McMurry had an 11-5 advantage in kills and forced CTX into six errors. Additionally, McMurry had three service aces and three blocks.

Set 3: The third set went back-and-forth early, but Concordia began breaking away and forced a McMurry timeout while leading 12-8. Bri Garcia snapped Concordia's 6-0 run with a kill to make it 14-9, but the Tornados raced back ahead with another 6-0 run. CTX finished with a 13-5 advantage in kills, and much like the first two sets, errors across the net played a hand in the decision. Martinez and Vasil each had two kills in the set.

Set 4: Concordia took a 7-1 lead to open set four, but the War Hawks charged back after a timeout and tied it at 10-10. The teams traded points at that point and were tied 16-16, but McMurry would be the one to inch ahead and make it 20-17. Unfortunately, McM wasn't able to force a fifth set as CTX scored eight of the last 10 points. The Tornados had 17 kills, most of which came late in the set, while McMurry finished with nine.

UP NEXT 

The War Hawks look to get back on track against No. 8 Mary Hardin-Baylor. First serve is set for 6 p.m. in Belton, Texas.