BELTON, Texas   – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball split matches on the final day of regular season play, dropping a 3-2 decision to Our Lady of the Lake University before beating St. Thomas (Houston) 3-2. UMHB improved to 23-4 on the day with the win. 
 
UMHB opened the day with a 3-2 loss to Our Lady of the Lake University. UMHB won the first two sets 26-24, 25-23 before dropping the next two 24-26, 25-27. UMHB fought hard in the fifth set, but eventually fell 19-17 to seal the win for the Saints. Jenna Gillean led the Cru with 21 kills while Corinne Novak added 18 and Hope Hoelscher had 10. UMHB hit .220 in the match, slamming 64 kills on 182 total attacks. Miranda Klein was the assist-leader with 58 while Haleigh Evans and Adrien Valdez both recorded two service aces. Defensively, Evans led the Cru with 21 digs while Gillean added 17 and Klein had 16. Sarah Paolini and Hope Hoelscher led defensive efforts at the net with four blocks each. UMHB totaled 61 assists, 85 digs and eight team blocks in the match while the Saints hit .187 with 63 assists, 70 digs and ten team blocks.
 
The Cru took a 25-18 first-set win over St. Thomas before dropping the second set 25-14. UMHB took another lead with a 25-17 third-set but fell 27-25 in the fourth. The Cru used a dominant 15-7 fifth-set to secure the 3-2 win. Novak led the Cru with 20 kills while Gillean added 14 and Paolini had 11. UMHB hit .257 in the match with 60 kills on 152 total attacks. Klein anchored UMHB's offense with 48 assists. Defensively, Evans led with 23 digs while Gillean and Novak each added 14. Hoelscher was the leader at the net, going up for five blocks.
 
UMHB returns to action in the 2018 American Southwest Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament. UMHB won the West Division title and right to host the tournament. Play will go Thursday, Nov. 1^st – Saturday, Nov. 3^rd at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton. The Cru opens play on Friday, November 2^nd in a 1:30 p.m. match.