BELTON, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball team earned a pair of wins Saturday in Belton to improve to 21-1 on the season. The Cru took a three-set win over LeTourneau University before earning a 3-1 win over Luther College.
 
UMHB opened the first set against LeTourneau with a 3-0 run before the YellowJackets used a 5-1 swing to take the lead. The match played within two points before the Cru used a 4-1 run to take a four-point lead at 20-16. LeTourneau fought back with two points but UMHB jumped back ahead at 22-18. UMHB had set-point at 24-19 but the YellowJackets scored five unanswered to tie it at 24. Katie Warden and Hannah Frasca sealed the win with a pair of kills, giving UMHB the 26-24 first-set win.
 
The second set played back and forth before UMHB used a five-point swing to take a lead at 8-4. LeTourneau tied the set at 10 and play continued back and forth with neither team leading by more than two points until UMHB went on a 5-1 run to force another set-point at 24-19. LeTourneau pushed back within three but Warden sealed it with another kill to put UMHB up with a 25-21 second-set win.
 
UMHB led early in the third set and pulled away with a six-point run to take a 10-point lead at 15-5. LeTourneau responded with four consecutive points but UMHB's lead was too much for the YellowJackets to overcome as the Cru sealed the match with a 25-13 third-set win.
 
Katie Warden led the Cru with 12 kills while Kendall Harrington and Hannah Frasca each added
11. UMHB totaled 46 kills on 130 attacks for a .262 hitting percentage. Ella Brunson anchored the offense with 37 assists while Alyssa Christiansen and Dravyn Hurd each served two aces. Frasca was the defensive leader with 15 digs, followed by Maddie Gillispie and Ella Brunson both with 12. UMHB limited the YellowJackets to 37 kills for a .138 percentage.
 
UMHB faced Luther College in the Cru's second match of the day. The Cru led early in the first set before LC tied the set at 13. The Cru kept chipping away, going up 20-16 with the defense limiting the Norse to just three more points to secure the 25-19 win.
 
The Cru opened the second set up 3-0 and used a 7-3 run from there to go ahead 10-3. UMHB continued to push, leading by double-digits for the majority of the set as they cruised to a 25-11 win. The Norse fought back in the third set, taking a 23-20 lead late. UMHB brought the set back within one at 24-23 but Luther sealed the win with a kill to force a fourth frame.
 
UMHB led early in the fourth set and did not let up. The Norse tied the set at 13 but UMHB jumped back ahead with a pair of points and cruised to a 25-19 win from there.
 
Katie Warden led the Cru with 17 kills in the match while Frasca added 15. UMHB hit .244 in the contest with 59 total kills, anchored by Ella Brunson with 37 total assists. Frasca led UMHB's defensive efforts with 23 digs, followed by Caiden Lasala with 12 and Ella Brunson with 10. UMHB added 13 blocks in the match, led by Natalie Hughes with four.
 
UMHB returns to action in a pair of matches next week in Abilene. The Cru will face McMurry University at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 20^th before taking on Hardin-Simmons University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 21^st.