RICHARDSON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball team fought hard in the 2022 American Southwest Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament, falling to East Texas Baptist University in five sets in the semifinal round.
 
UMHB used a 6-1 run to gain a lead in the first set and maintained advantage through the set. The Cru closed the set on a 9-0 run to open the match with a 25-13 win in the first. UMHB hit .389 in the set with 16 kills and just two errors.
 
East Texas Baptist responded in the second set, opening with a 6-0 run. UMHB pulled within two at the 8-6 mark before the Tigers went on a 7-0 run to gain a 10-point lead on the Cru. The Tigers cruised to a 25-15 win in that set to even the match at 1-1.
 
ETBU earned a 25-20 win in the third to jump ahead a set but UMHB responded with a hard-fought 25-22 win in the fourth to force a fifth. The Tigers opened the final set with a 5-1 lead and held an 8-6 advantage at the split. UMHB evened the set at 8-8 but the Tigers held on for the 13-10 fifth-set and match win.
 
Hannah Frasca led the Cru with 14 kills, followed by Katie Warden with 13 and Kaylie Vasil with 10. UMHB hit .149 in the match, anchored by Ella Brunson with 37 assists. Gracie Nichols served a team-high three aces while Brunson added two more. Defensively, Jenci Seahorn led the Cru with six blocks while Ella Brunson had 25 digs. Alyssa Christiansen (19) and Faith Clark (16) also recorded double-digit digs for the Cru.
 
UMHB ends their season at 17-8 overall and 10-5 in league play. The Tigers advance to the ASC Volleyball Championship and will face No. 1 seed UT Dallas at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 5^th.