COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The McMurry War Hawks put up a resilient fight on the road but ultimately fell to the Colorado College Tigers in four sets (12-24, 19-25, 25-19, 20-25) in conference action at the El Pomar Sports Center. The loss moves the War Hawks' record to 9−8 overall and 3−6 in SCAC play.
The War Hawk offense was led by three players who hit over 10 kills for the match. Marcette Williams finished with a team-high 12 kills, followed closely by Layleah Williams-Gibson with 10 kills (hitting an impressive .471), and Carli Colbert also contributed 10 kills.
Setting the table were Alexis Dolton, who racked up 15 assists, and Colbert, who added 13 assists.
Defensively, the team totaled 60 digs. Libero Jalie Miller anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs, while Isabela Dorsey added nine digs. At the net, McMurry totaled 6.0 team blocks. Williams was involved in a team-high six block assists, with Patterson and Williams-Gibson contributing three block assists each.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1 (12-25, Lost): McMurry struggled immediately in the opener, hitting a challenging −.086 as a team due to relentless pressure from the Tigers. Colorado College jumped out to a significant early lead, and despite three kills from Williams in the frame, the War Hawks couldn't close the gap, dropping the first set decisively.
Set 2 (19-25, Lost): The offense showed significant improvement in the second set, hitting a team-best .200. Williams-Gibson dominated this frame, putting down five kills. Kills from Rylie Patterson and a service ace from Miller helped McMurry maintain striking distance, but an extended run by the Tigers late in the set created separation, resulting in a 19-25 loss.
Set 3 (25-19, Won): The War Hawks roared back in the third set, dominating the frame by holding the Tigers to a low hitting percentage. Williams and Annikah Frank each put down four kills in the set, and the defense turned up the pressure with 3.0 blocks, highlighted by Williams' three block assists. The strong collective effort propelled McMurry to a confidence-boosting 25−19 victory.
Set 4 (20-25, Lost): Momentum shifted back to the home team in the final set. While McMurry's hitting dropped, the team continued to fight, highlighted by three kills from Williams-Gibson and two kills from Williams. Despite pulling within one point late in the set, the War Hawks couldn't overcome the deficit, ultimately falling 20−25 to end the match.
The War Hawks showed resilience by taking a set from a strong Colorado College program. They return to action next Friday, October 17th, at Concordia University in Austin.
