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Richardson, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball team grabbed an early lead and then battled back from a third-set deficit to post a 3-0 victory over Texas Lutheran University in the opening match of the 2011 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Thursday in Richardson. UMHB improves to 21-9 on the season with the victory and the Cru also sets a new school Division III era record for wins in a season, besting the previous mark of 20 set in 1998. The loss drops Texas Lutheran to 15-16 on the season.
UMHB swept through the Bulldogs to post a 25-19, 25-21, 29-27 victory. The Cru used a pair of 3-0 runs to open up a tight set in the opening set. TLU would close to within 21-17 before UMHB won four of the last six points to take set one. The second set would also be close before
Elise Butler served four straight points to break a 19-19 tie and propel the victory. Both teams would have two chances at set point in the third set before back-to-back TLU attack errors gave UMHB a 28-27 lead.
Tina Miller then ended the match with a kill to send the Cru into the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Miller led UMHB with 12 kills and
Kimberly Smidovec added 11 more.
Anissa Garcia posted team-highs with 36 assists and 21 digs. Butler added 14 digs and
Morgan Baker chipped in with 10. The Cru hit .257 as a team and posted 9.0 team blocks in the victory.
Vanecia Spencer led TLU with 17 digs and Sami Springfield added 13. Manda Martin recorded 37 assists and three different players reached double figures in digs for the Bulldogs. TLU hit just .108 as a team and committed 29 attack errors.
The win is the first ASC Tournament victory for UMHB since 1998; when the Cru went on to win the inaugural conference tournament. UMHB advances to face ASC West Division Champion McMurry University in a 5:00 PM match this evening. Texas Lutheran falls into the loser's bracket and will play an elimination game tomorrow at 2:30 PM.
