ABILENE, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball team swept West Division rival McMurry University 3-0 Friday evening in Abilene. The win improved the Cru to 7-4 on the season and 3-0 in American Southwest Conference action while the War Hawks fell to 9-3 overall and 0-1 in league play.
 
UMHB used a 6-0 run late in the first set to take a 24-17 lead. McMurry fought off four set points before Jenna Gillean put the Cru ahead for a 25-21 first-set win. The second set played evenly before the Cru went on a 5-0 win with Corinne Novak serving four consecutive points. UMHB held the War Hawks off to secure a 25-19 win in the second. Both teams exchanged leads in the third set before Kayla Janikula served five straight points to put the Cru up by six. The War Hawks rallied late but UMHB held off, securing the match with a 25-20 win in the third.
 
Corinne Novak and Jenna Gillean led the Cru with 10 kills each while Sarah Paolini added eight. UMHB hit .250 in the match, propelled by Cory Jo Martin's 34 assists. Defensively, Adrien Valdez led with 18 digs followed by Gillean's double-double effort with 10. Paolini led defensive efforts at the net, putting down six blocks en route to a team-total of nine. UMHB hit 43 kills on 132 attacks with 64 total digs and four service aces. The Cru held McMurry to a .124 hitting percentage with just 37 kills on 137 attacks.
 
UMHB returns to action on Saturday, September 21^st in a 2 p.m. match at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene.