MARSHALL, Texas – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball won the American Southwest Conference semifinal against Hardin-Simmons University on Friday evening to move onto the championship match.
 
The game started with a tight set that included six tied scores until the Cru pushed ahead at the 7-7 point. Three kills from Kendall Harrington and one from Raylee Schaffner and Baylee Mobley put UMHB up 12-9. The Cru capitalized on some Cowgirl errors moving the score to 15-10, which was the largest point differential in the set. The set continued with back-and-forth play and was closed out with a Natalie Hughes kill to give the Cru the 25-23 win. The second set played closely, with neither team having more than a three-point differential throughout. It came down to the 25-25 mark, forcing the game into extra points. The Cru wasted no time with a Harrington kill and a Cowgirl attack error sealing the 27-25 UMHB victory, extending the Cru's lead two sets to none. Hardin-Simmons gained an early 6-1 lead to begin the third set. UMHB responded with a four-point run to close the gap 13-12. A huge block from Schaffner and Hughes then tied the game at 14. Hardin-Simmons pulled ahead and took the third set 25-23. After a hard-fought battle in the fourth, the Cowgirls took the win 25-22, forcing a fifth set. The Cru went into the deciding set taking a quick 8-4 lead. After switching sides on the court, the Cowgirls cut into the lead tying the game at nine. The Cru sailed ahead, taking the match victory 3-2 with a 15-12 lead in the fifth. 
 
Kendall Harrington led the Cru with 22 kills, adding 18 assists and 19 digs to tack on a triple-double. Natalie Hughes tallied 10 kills herself, with Sifa Olang adding eight with an attacking percentage of .368. Caitlyn Ellenburg led with 24 assists, while Caiden Lasala was the leading Crusader defensively with 30 digs. 
 
UMHB will play in the ASC Championship Saturday, November 16^th at 3:00 PM where they will take on the winner of East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau.