ABILENE, TX - The McMurry War Hawks fought a furious non-conference rivalry match against cross-town rival Hardin-Simmons, ultimately falling in four sets with scores of 27-25, 20-25, 20-25, and 21-25. The hard-fought loss moves the War Hawks' season record to 13-13 overall.
The War Hawks' offense tallied 51 kills in the 4-set contest. Marcette Williams led the charge with 12 kills and was followed closely by Madi Polasek with 11 kills. Rylie Patterson contributed 10 kills.
The attack was skillfully directed by Carli Colbert (21 assists, 13 digs) and Alexis Dolton (18 assists, 7 digs). Jalie Miller delivered a match-high 17 digs and three aces from the service line.
At the net, the War Hawks totaled 12.0 total blocks. Williams led the blocking unit with one solo block and four block assists, while Layleah Williams-Gibson contributed four block assists, and Patterson added three block assists.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1 (27-25, Won): The opening frame was a dramatic battle that went into extra points, featuring two tie scores before the 24-24 mark. The offense was sharp, logging 17 kills as a team. Patterson led the fierce attack with four kills, and Williams added three kills, supported by Polasek's three kills. A crucial blocking effort late in the set, highlighted by block assists from Patterson and Colbert, sealed the hard-fought set victory.
Set 2 (20-25, Lost): Momentum swung back and forth in the second set, which saw 10 tie scores and six lead changes. The team struggled to convert attacks, but timely blocks helped keep the fight going. Layleah Williams-Gibson and Annikah Frank contributed three kills and two kills, respectively. Despite the strong effort, the Cowgirls pulled away late.
Set 3 (20-25, Lost): The War Hawks put down 13 kills in the frame. Polasek led the offense with four kills, while Williams added three kills. Dolton directed the attack with five assists, but HSU's defense proved strong, resulting in a set loss.
Set 4 (21-25, Lost): The final set remained a competitive battle, featuring four tie scores. Williams paced the attack with four kills, supported by Colbert (3 kills) and Patterson (2 kills). The War Hawks accumulated four aces in the set, highlighted by Miller's two aces. Despite the serving pressure, the Cowgirls closed the set 25-21 to secure the 3-1 match victory.
The War Hawks wrap up their regular season schedule this Friday, November 7th, for senior night against conference foe Schreiner at 6:00 p.m. in Kimbrell Arena.
