ALPINE, Texas – McMurry University Volleyball faced a much-improved Sul Ross State program in Alpine, Texas on Saturday afternoon, as the Lobos held off the War Hawks in a close 3-2 match in American Southwest Conference play.

The War Hawks (2-4, 1-1 ASC) dropped the first two sets and were on the ropes, but surged back to win a pair of close ones to even the match. The Lobos (3-3, 2-1 ASC) sent the home crowd happy with a win in the fifth set.

After losing 22 straight matches to McMurry heading into 2021, Sul Ross has now won two of the last three matches – both in Alpine. The last three matches in this emerging volleyball rivalry have went five sets.

Sul Ross State 3, McMurry 2 (19-25, 15-25, 25-20, 25-23, 8-15)

Summary: Sul Ross State used 63 kills and a .238 attack percentage to find an edge in a fairly-even game, while McMurry had 51 kills and a .137 percentage. The War Hawks made up for it in defense with 10 blocks and 75 digs, but fell short in the final frame. Kaylie Vasil picked up another double-double with 14 kills and 17 digs, while Megan Martinez added 10 kills and five blocks. Sophomore Aubrie Sibley had a career-high 20 assists, while senior Myranda Salcedo had 19. Junior Adile Leal led the team in digs with 19.

Play-by-play stats are currently unavailable for this match.

Set 1: The Lobos jumped ahead with 16 kills – the most in any set on the day – to take the 1-0 lead. McMurry had more attack opportunities, but finished with 11 kills in the opening frame.

Set 2: Sul Ross State took the momentum in set two with a 10-point victory, winning 25-15. McMurry had its lowest hitting percentage in this set at .067, while the Lobos had its most efficient set with 14 kills and three errors for a .367 percentage.

Set 3: The War Hawks battled back with a 25-20 win in the third set, netting 13 kills on 37 attacks. The Lobos were limited on opportunities, managing 11 kills on 28 opportunities.

Set 4: In the closest set of the match, McMurry stayed alive with a 25-23 set victory. Both teams had 12 kills each, but Sul Ross had three more attack errors in the frame.

Set 5: The final set was a flawless one for the Lobos, as they clinched the home victory with 10 kills and no errors on 21 attacks. The War Hawks had seven kills, but did not have enough to pull off the comeback.

UP NEXT 
The War Hawks will hold their home opener next Tuesday, Sept. 14 against UT Dallas in Kimbrell Arena. First serve is set for 6 p.m. For spectator protocols, click here.