Above photo by Russell Marwitz/True To The Cru/russellmarwitz.com
AUSTIN, Texas- The UMHB volleyball team fell in a third straight conference match on Friday night, as Concordia (TX) emerged with a 3-1 home victory, and now boasts wins over two of the ASC’s most prominent programs in UMHB and UT-Dallas.
The Crusaders, meanwhile, are 9-5, with a 3-4 record in ASC play.
How it happened
Unlike Tuesday’s loss at Hardin-Simmons, UMHB won the first set, narrowly, 25-22. That was in large part thanks to an 8-1 run midway through, that broke a 9-9 tie, and instead made it 18-10 in favor of the Cru. Minutes later, Concordia’s 5-0 run cut the deficit to two, 21-19, but a pair of kills from Katie Warden claimed point No. 24 and No. 25, as UMHB took a 1-0 lead.
The Tornadoes were not fazed, however, and responded with a narrow set two victory of their own, winning 25-23. UMHB held a 20-19 lead late, but three straight Concordia points put the hosts very much in control of the set. With CTX needing just one point to win, UMHB rallied by forcing a service error, then an attack error, cutting the margin to just one. But an attack error on the Crusaders’ part gave the Tornadoes their final point, as Concordia won 25-23, evening the match score at one apiece.
Concordia then ended the third set on a 6-3 run, before taking the match in another 25-23 win in the fourth set. That final set saw the Tornadoes erase a 22-20 UMHB lead behind a stellar 5-1 offensive run.
Stat Leaders
Hannah Frasca stepped up with 12 kills, as did Warden, whose 12 kills extended her streak of matches with double figures in that stat category to six. Kaylie Vasil added 10 kills. Ella Brunson dished out 34 of the Cru’s 43 assists, and was responsible for one of just two service aces. Maddie Gillispie led UMHB with 31 digs.
Up Next
UMHB visits Texas Lutheran in non-conference play in a 6 p.m. match on Sept. 28. It marks the Cru’s third straight road contest. TLU is 9-3 this season,
