JACKSON, MS — The McMurry War Hawks fell to the Belhaven Blazers in a three-set match on Saturday, with set scores of 21-25, 15-25, and 19-25. The loss brings the War Hawks' season record to 5-2.

The McMurry offense was led by Layleah Williams-Gibson, who had six kills and a .100 hitting percentage. Madi Polasek and Marcette Williams were also key offensive contributors, adding 6 and 4 kills, respectively. Carli Colbert orchestrated the offense with 12 assists, and Allison Montoya added 3.

From the service line, the War Hawks struggled, recording only five aces. On defense, Jalie Miller anchored the back row with a team-high 16 digs, with Polasek and Shaely Rogers each contributing 8. The War Hawks also tallied three total blocks, with Williams-Gibson and Alexis Dolton assisting on 2 of them.

After a hard-fought first set, the War Hawks struggled in the second and third sets, falling behind early and never recovering.
 

Looking to bounce back, the War Hawks swept the Huntingdon Hawks in a three-set match on Saturday, winning with scores of 25-23, 25-19, and 29-27. The victory improves the War Hawks' season record to 6-2.

The McMurry offense was led by a pair of players with nine kills each: Marcette Williams and Carli Colbert. Rylie Patterson was a strong presence at the net with eight kills on a .375 hitting percentage, and Layleah Williams-Gibson added four kills. The offense was orchestrated by Colbert and Alexis Dolton, who had 12 and 9 assists, respectively.

From the service line, the War Hawks were dominant, collecting 18 total aces. Jalie Miller led the team with seven aces, followed by Phillips with 4. On defense, Miller anchored the back row with a team-high 20 digs, while Shaely Rogers and Polasek each contributed 8. The War Hawks also tallied two total blocks, with Williams assisting on one of them.

The War Hawks had to battle for the first set, overcoming an early deficit to secure a 25-23 victory. They completely dominated the second set, with a late run to close out the set with a 25-19 win. The third set was a back-and-forth affair that saw McMurry rally from a 22-18 deficit to secure the 29-27 victory.

McMurry will open conference play next Saturday, September 20, against Schreiner University in Kerrville at 2:00 p.m.