ABILENE, Texas – Volleyball head coach Cammie Petree became the winningest coach in McMurry University Athletics history on Thursday night, as the volleyball team defeated cross-town rival Hardin-Simmons 3-1 and 3-0 inside Kimbrell Arena.
With the first win of the doubleheader, Petree joined legendary men's basketball coach Hershel Kimbrell as the only two coaches to achieve 448 career wins in any sport at McMurry.
The second win brought overwhelming emotion over Kimbrell Arena, as Petree broke the record.
After the game, she was embraced by her team and presented with flowers, three balloons making up the number "449" and a commemorative poster, all while surrounded by scholar-athletes, coworkers, family and friends.
"Whenever you reach a milestone of this magnitude, it's never just about you," Petree said after the win. "It's about the blessings that God brings into your life along the journey. For me, it's the love and support of my family, the encouragement and leadership of my coworkers and our administration, and the amazing gifts of hard work and talent of my players. I'm so grateful for the roles each one has played in my life and this milestone. Glory to God."
McMurry dropped the first set of the opener, but powered back to win six straight sets en route to a sweep. The War Hawks improved to 6-2 both overall and in American Southwest Conference play, while Hardin-Simmons dropped to 1-7, 1-5.
GAME 1 – McMurry 3, Hardin-Simmons 1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-15, 27-25)
Summary: After HSU took the first set 25-20, the War Hawks stormed back in the next two sets to regain the lead. Just when it seemed like a fifth set was destined, McMurry overcame a 24-20 deficit in the fourth frame and won 27-25 to clinch the win. HSU had a slight 47-45 advantage in kills, but 10 blocks and eight aces aided the War Hawks. Senior Kianni Mitchell impressed with 10 kills and seven blocks, while fellow senior Brynn Wilson picked up the double-double with 20 assists and 10 digs. Adile Leal had an impressive four service aces in the win.
Set 1: The Cowgirls killed any early momentum McMurry hoped for with an 11-3 run out of the gate. After a service error finally ended a 10-0 run, the War Hawks battled back to a four-point deficit at 21-17. Alicia Becerra had the final kill for HSU to win its lone set, 25-20.
Set 2: McMurry flipped the script in set two, jumping out to an 18-9 lead. HSU went on a six point run to pull within three points, but a kill by Madison Cuellar ended it momentarily. With McMurry ahead 21-19, the Cowgirls made four straight errors to drop the set and even the score. Five different War Hawks had kills in the set, led by senior Megan Martinez with three.
Set 3: HSU led 6-1 early in the swing set, but it would be a 9-0 run by the War Hawks midway through that put McMurry ahead for good. McMurry scored 17 of the final 22 points in the set. Kianni Mitchell had an impressive five kills in the frame, followed by Megan Martinez with three and Tyler Richarson with two.
Set 4: The final set was the most thrilling set of the night, with the score evening up 11 times in a see-saw affair. Tied 20-20, HSU began to inch away and was one point away from forcing a fifth set with four straight points. Freshman Addyson Tiffin kept the team alive with a kill, assisted by Myranda Salcedo. Three attack errors by HSU leveled the score back up, putting the win-by-two rule into effect. HSU scored the first point of the tiebreaker on an attack error by freshman Madison Cuellar, but McMurry stayed alive with a kill by Mitchell. After an HSU attack error gave McM at 26-25 lead, Cuellar atoned for her error in the best way possible with the game-clinching kill. A diving dig by Adile Lead served as a perfect set-up for the freshman, who tapped it over for the closer.
GAME 2 – McMurry 3, Hardin-Simmons 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-15)
Summary: In one of the most emotional wins in program history, McMurry swept HSU in straight sets behind 35 kills, 11 service aces, 32 assists and 51 digs. Miranda Saucedo had a season-high 11 assists in both games, while Brynn Wilson had 18 to lead the way. The senior duo of Megan Martinez and Kianni Mitchell combined for 19 kills, while freshman Madison Cuellar had seven kills and seven digs. Adile Leal churned out 14 digs, while Kaylie Vasil added 12 in the historic victory.
Set 1: McMurry used an early 4-0 run and mid-set 5-0 run to take an early 14-6 lead with two of those points coming from Kaylie Vasil service aces. McMurry had kills on nine of its final 10 points en route to a 25-21 set victory. Mitchell had four kills in the run, Cuellar added three and Martinez had two. Wilson assisted on five of those final kills, while Salcedo helped with the other four.
Set 2: In a close set, the War Hawks took a 13-12 lead midway through and would never trail again. Vasil, Mitchell, Martinez, Cuellar and Addyson Tiffin all had at least two kills in the frame.
Set 3: The War Hawks proved to be too much in the final frame, clinching the win and the record for Petree with a 25-15 win. Seven of the final nine points went in favor of the War Hawks, as the crowd gradually became anxious and excited for what was to come. The final kill saw two seniors team up, as Brynn Wilson set up Megan Martinez to swing from the right side slightly over the net.
UP NEXT
McMurry and Hardin-Simmons will rematch across town in the Mabee Complex beginning at 5 p.m.
