IRVING, Texas - McMurry University volleyball closed out the regular season on Saturday at the Ed Maher Athletic Center, earning a hard-fought split across two road matchups against Colorado College and the University of Dallas.
After dropping a three-set opener to Colorado College (25-20, 25-17, 25-19), the War Hawks rebounded with resilience in the afternoon finale, outlasting Dallas in a five-set back and forth match (25-11, 25-23, 21-25, 20-25, 15-4).
Against Dallas, McMurry set the tone early by swinging at a blistering .462 clip in the opening set with 13 kills and just one attack error. Over the five-set marathon, the War Hawks racked up 54 total kills and 86 digs.
Hanna Rubis led the charge with a monster double-double, hammering down a match-high 21 kills on a .260 hitting efficiency while collecting 18 digs and two blocks.
Madi Polasek added a double-double with nine kills, 12 digs, and three service aces.
Grace Fortune orchestrated the offense with precision, registering a 36-assist, 17-dig double-double. Libero
Lexi Nichols anchored the back row with a match-best 23 digs, adding eight assists, two aces, and three kills.
Kenzie Jackson contributed eight kills,
Rylie Patterson added six, and
Layleah Williams-Gibson supplied five kills, a block, and an ace.
Jyllian Phillips also provided key defense off the bench with 11 digs.
McMurry got off to a flying start in the finale against Dallas. Tied at 10-10 in the first set, Polasek ignited a decisive 13-1 run with her serve, firing three aces as the War Hawks pulled ahead 23-11. Jackson finished the frame with a kill to lock up a 25-11 victory.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle with 11 ties and six lead changes. Rubis paced the attack with six kills in the frame. Deadlocked at 23-23, McMurry capitalized on an opponent service error before Phillips set up Jackson for the set-clinching kill at 25-23.
Dallas pushed back to take sets three (25-21) and four (25-20), despite Nichols keying a 6-0 run in the fourth with a service ace and a kill to give McMurry a 17-15 advantage.
In the deciding fifth set, the War Hawks took complete control. Tied at 3-3, Williams-Gibson served an ace during a 5-0 surge that handed McMurry an 8-3 cushion. Phillips then stepped behind the service line at 9-4 and served out the match on a 6-0 run, featuring two kills from Rubis, to cap a dominant 12-2 closing burst for the 15-4 win.
In the morning match against Colorado College, Rubis and Polasek shared the team lead with nine points each. Rubis notched nine kills and seven digs, while Polasek tallied seven kills, 11 digs, and two aces. Fortune dished out 18 assists, and Nichols recorded eight digs along with three aces. Jackson added five kills, Patterson recorded four kills on a .273 clip, and Williams-Gibson tallied three kills and a block.
McMurry opened that match strong, grabbing an early 5-2 lead in the first set behind consecutive aces from Nichols. Jackson tied the frame at 15-15 and 16-16 with kills before Colorado College pushed back late. After Colorado College took set two, the War Hawks responded by grabbing a quick 5-1 lead in the third behind Polasek's serving. McMurry fought back late, staving off match points with kills from Jackson and Rubis before falling 25-19.
With the regular season concluded, McMurry turns its attention to postseason competition. The War Hawks open the ASC Championship Tournament against Schreiner on Thursday, November 12th at 4:00 p.m. in Belton, Texas.
