ABILENE, TX - The McMurry War Hawks secured a decisive victory in their non-conference home contest, sweeping the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets in three straight sets with scores of 25-23, 25-19, and 25-23. The victory moves the War Hawks' season record to 13-10 overall.
The War Hawks' offense was highly productive, recording 45 kills as a team. Carli Colbert led the charge with a team-high 11 kills, followed by Madi Polasek with nine kills and Marcette Williams contributing eight kills. The attack was skillfully orchestrated by Alexis Dolton, who finished with 17 assists, while Colbert also posted 16 assists.
Defensively, the War Hawks were stellar, collecting 50 digs. Isabela Dorsey was everywhere, leading the team with 18 digs, followed by Jalie Miller with 12 digs and Colbert with 11 digs. From the service line, McMurry tallied six total aces. Miller led the effort with three aces, with Colbert adding two of her own. At the net, the War Hawks accumulated 4.0 total blocks. Layleah Williams-Gibson was a force, registering three block assists, while Williams contributed a solo block and a block assist.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1 (25-23, Won): The opening set was a close battle, featuring 10 tie scores before the War Hawks gained control. The offense found its rhythm early, fueled by five kills from Colbert. Timely kills from Rylie Patterson and a crucial block assist from Williams-Gibson helped McMurry edge out the Yellow Jackets.
Set 2 (25-19, Won): McMurry built an early lead and never looked back, winning the second set decisively. Polasek dominated this frame, putting down four kills, while Williams added three. Strong serving, highlighted by an ace from Colbert, kept the pressure on, and the War Hawks closed out the set.
Set 3 (25-23, Won): The final set proved to be another tightly contested contest, with the lead changing six times. The War Hawks relied on their balanced offense, with Williams-Gibson leading the team with four kills in the frame. A late service ace from Miller gave McMurry a key advantage, and clutch kills from Patterson and Polasek in the final points sealed the hard-fought victory and the match sweep.
The War Hawks showed resilience in closing out two tight sets to secure the home sweep. They will now focus on preparing for their upcoming conference match against Colorado College at Kimbrell Arena on Friday, October 31, at 5:00 p.m.
