AUSTIN, TX - The McMurry War Hawks fought hard on the road but ultimately fell to the Concordia University Texas Tornados in a four-set conference battle with scores of 25-18, 22-25, 25-25, and 14-25. The loss moves the War Hawks' overall season record to 9-9 and 3−7 in SCAC play.
The War Hawks were led by a dominant performance from Marcette Williams, who was relentless on offense, tallying a team-high 16 kills and hitting an efficient .213 for the match. Layleah Williams-Gibson was also a significant factor, recording nine kills and converting her attacks at an impressive .500 clip. Madi Polasek contributed seven kills and hit .174, with Frank Annikah adding six kills.
Setting the table for the attack was Alexis Dolton, who racked up a match-high 35 assists, showcasing her command of the offense.
From the service line, McMurry collected six total aces. Isabela Dorsey and Alexis Dolton each delivered two aces, while Jalie Miller and Allison Montoya added one apiece. Defensively, Miller anchored the back row with a team-high 16 digs, supported by Dorsey's 12 digs and Dolton's nine digs. At the net, the War Hawks tallied 5.0 total blocks, with Williams-Gibson involved in a team-high two block assists.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1 (25-18, Won): The War Hawks came out firing in the opener, dominating the set with a decisive performance. The team hit an excellent .310 as an attacking unit, recording 16 kills, while limiting the Tornados to a .161 clip. Williams was instrumental, putting down eight kills in the frame to power the War Hawks to the 25−18 victory.
Set 2 (22-25, Lost): Momentum shifted in the second set, which was tightly contested from start to finish. McMurry's hitting remained respectable at .136, but they couldn't convert enough scoring opportunities against a resilient Concordia defense. Despite four kills from Williams and a strong defensive effort, the Tornados edged out the War Hawks 25−22 to tie the match.
Set 3 (18-25, Lost): The War Hawks struggled to regain their rhythm in the third set, with their attack efficiency dipping to .071. They managed 10 kills, but multiple errors allowed the Tornados to pull away. Though Polasek delivered four kills in the frame, Concordia maintained control to take the set 25−18.
Set 4 (14-25, Lost): McMurry's offense continued to struggle in the decisive final set, managing only nine kills. The Tornados took control early, and despite four kills from Williams-Gibson in the frame, the War Hawks couldn't overcome the deficit, ultimately falling 25−14 to end the match.
The War Hawks showed promise with a dominant first set and will look for greater consistency as they continue their conference schedule with a match against Texas Lutheran on Saturday, October 18th, at 1:00 p.m. in Seguin.
