IRVING, Texas – McMurry opened its 2026 season on Friday at the Crusader Classic, battling through a pair of hard-fought road contests against Paul Quinn and tournament host Dallas inside the Maher Athletic Center.

Match 1: Paul Quinn 3, McMurry 1 (25-21, 14-25, 25-23, 25-13)
In the season opener, the War Hawks answered an opening-set loss by storming back in the second frame, hitting a blistering .310 with 13 kills to level the match before Paul Quinn edged out the final two sets.

Hanna Rubis powered the McMurry attack with a match-high 15 kills to go along with eight digs and two service aces. Haley McCallick and Kenzie Jackson added nine kills apiece, with Jackson swinging at an efficient .292 clip. Layleah Williams-Gibson chipped in six kills, while Grace Gustafson floored three.

Grace Fortune turned in a double-double from the setter position, dishing out 25 assists while registering 11 digs, five kills (.333 hitting), and an ace. Yasmine DeLaGarza split setting duties and contributed 12 assists and six digs.

On the back row, Jalie Miller was everywhere defensively, picking up a match-best 25 digs and firing three aces. Lexi Nichols recorded 11 digs, while Kiley Wiechring matched Miller with three aces of her own to help McMurry total 11 service aces in the match.

Match 2: Dallas 3, McMurry 2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-12, 20-25, 16-14)
The evening finale proved to be an absolute thriller, featuring 33 ties and 16 lead changes as McMurry pushed host Dallas to the wire across five tight sets.
After falling in the opening frame, the War Hawks responded with a resilient 25-20 victory in set two. Facing a 2-1 deficit, McMurry caught fire in the fourth set, hitting .200 with 13 kills to claim a 25-20 win and force a deciding fifth frame. The final set saw eight ties and four lead changes, with the War Hawks fighting to extra points before Dallas managed to scrape by 16-14.

Rubis once again led the offensive charge with 14 kills, nine digs, and two aces. McCallick provided eight kills, while Jackson was a force at the net with seven kills and two solo blocks. Rylie Patterson and Madi Polasek added four kills each, with Polasek collecting six digs.

Fortune directed the offense with 21 assists and two aces, supported by DeLaGarza's eight assists and six digs. Nichols paced the defense with 18 digs and two aces, while Miller collected eight digs and two aces as the War Hawks racked up 12 aces on the night.

Volleyball returns to the court Saturday, September 5th, to take on Concordia University at 9:00 a.m. and Austin College at 1:00 p.m. in Sherman, Texas, at Jim Rolfe Court.