BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor volleyball team soared past Howard Payne in a four-set match to extend their win streak to nine Tuesday evening in Belton. The Cru improved to 9-0 on the season and opened conference play at 1-0 while the Yellow Jackets fell to 5-1 overall and 0-1 in ASC play.  
 
The first set played back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than one. UMHB jumpstarted an eight-point run at the 7-7 mark, led by Cameron Pesek with two kills in the run. The Cru held onto a substantial lead until Tara Bennett took over at the service line for the Yellow Jackets, serving seven straight points to pull Howard Payne within three. UMHB closed out the set with a pair of kills from Baylee Mobley to earn the 25-21 win.
 
Howard Payne led early in the first set but UMHB tied it at four and again at six. Bennett took over at the service line again, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a 13-6 lead before UMHB broke the streak with a kill from Cameron Pesek. Howard Payne stayed on top until a kill from Raylee Schaffner evened the set at 15. The Cru pulled away from there with seven unanswered points, ending the set with a 25-19 victory.
 
Set three played within three points until halfway though when the Yellow Jackets fought for a five-point lead and held the high ground through the rest of the set, cruising to a 25-19 win. Howard Payne opened the fourth set with four unanswered points and led by as many as six before UMHB began to chip away, evening the set at 10 off another kill from Pesek. The Cru led by as many as two before Howard Payne evened it again at 13 and the set went back into point-for-point play. Howard Payne threatened but big blocks from Cameron Pesek and Dravyn closed out the set with a 25-21 win.
 
Baylee Mobley led the Cru with 12 kills while Dravyn Hurd and Cameron Pesek each added 10. UMHB hit 60 kills in the match with 25 assists from Caitlyn Ellenburg. Mobley also led the Cru with five service aces in the match while Peyton Sedlacek anchored the Cru's defense with 15 digs. Ellenburg was also a defensive asset, adding 13 digs with Faith Clark putting up 10. Pesek led the Cru's net defense with five blocks, followed by Hurd with four and Natalie Hughes with three. UMHB totaled eight blocks in the match with 56 assists and 62 total digs.
 
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, September 12^th in a 5 p.m. contest against Hardin-Simmons University at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton.