With the start of the week brings True To The Cru’s weekly recognition of some of the best individual performances from the past seven days in UMHB Athletics. Our goal in this is to highlight the exceptional accomplishments made by Crusader athletes across all sports, while recognizing at the same time that team success comes as the result of a complete team performance.
With that said, here are our Male and Female Athletes of the Week, along with some additional recognition for a handful of other outstanding performances seen in this past week. This week’s honors are sponsored by Sacrifice Training, Central Texas’ premier athletic training facility for all ages.
Athletes of all ages choose Sacrifice Training, elevating their level of fitness and athleticism! Founded by Cru football alum Bryson Tucker, Sacrifice Training has successfully helped numerous high school and college athletes reach the next level, including Atlanta Falcons DT Ta’Quon Graham and former UMHB QB and current UFL receiver Blake Jackson. But they are not limited to high performance development. The team at Sacrifice Training also works with first-time gym-goers and less-experienced athletes, pushing them to reach their own individual goals in their athletic journey. Learn more today at sacrificetraining.com.
Female Athlete of the Week: Baylee Mobley, Volleyball
Mobley was one of the several Crusaders who contributed to UMHB Volleyball’s 3-0 weekend in Conway, Arkansas, and in The Cru’s two five-set victories over Hendrix and Rhodes, the freshman hitter/defensive specialist stepped up in a big way.
Against Hendrix, she tallied a season-high 18 kills on 44 attacks with seven attack errors, finishing with a hitting percentage of .250. The native of Godley, Texas recorded three of The Cru’s final four kills in the decisive fifth set, and opened the match by delivering two of UMHB’s first three points. Defensively, Mobley added 13 digs for her third double-double of the season.
In Sunday’s five-set win over Rhodes, which improved UMHB to 16-1 overall, Mobley was second on the team in kills, with 16. She hit for an even higher percentage of .267—16 kills on 45 attacks with just four errors—which marked the first time this season in which she had consecutive games with a hitting percentage at or above .250. Mobley contributed with yet another double-double, as her 12 digs was the third-highest total on the team.
On the week, Mobley had 49.0 points for The Cru over three matches. She is third on the team in kills, at 143, and third in total digs, with 171. Through 62 sets played, Mobley’s 182.0 points is the second-most for UMHB this season.
Male Athlete of the Week: Da’marion Morris, Football
There were a number of contenders for this honor, especially after UMHB Football’s statement road win at UW-Whitewater on Saturday. Morris’ performance was exceptional to say the least, as he stepped up for the Crusader defense on multiple occasions, especially in a first-quarter that saw UMHB record interceptions on each of UWW’s first three drives.
Notably, the sophomore defensive back intercepted UWW quarterback Jason Ceniti’s fourth pass of the game on a ball thrown deep downfield, giving UMHB’s offense its first possession of the contest. Then on the ensuing UWW drive, Morris grabbed a tipped pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, diving into the end zone as he secured a 14-0 lead. It marked UMHB’s second pick-six of the opening quarter, and Morris was the only Crusader with multiple interceptions in the contest.
In the second quarter, Morris contributed to yet another UWW turnover as the Warhawk offense drove into UMHB territory. As Brian Wilterdink caught a short pass for UWW, Morris delivered the hit and forced the ball loose, with Durand Hill recovering the fumble. The turnover led to UMHB’s second offensive touchdown of the first half, extending The Cru’s lead back to 21.
Morris also led UMHB in solo tackles (7) and tied with Hill for the team-high in total tackles (10). The sophomore from Orange, Texas set new career-highs in interceptions, tackles, and tallied his first pass breakup of the season.
Other notable performances this past week
Natalie Hughes | Volleyball | vs Rhodes: Hughes had an incredible performance to beat Rhodes, with 21 kills and a hitting percentage of .514. Not only was it a career-high for Hughes, but also the first time since Sept. 30, 2023 that a UMHB player recorded more than 20 kills in a match.
Caiden Lasala | Volleyball | vs Rhodes: Lasala was terrific for UMHB defensively in the five-set win, recording 30 or more digs in a match for the first time in her collegiate career. She had 34 against Rhodes, following a 22-dig performance the previous day against Hendrix.
Durand Hill | Football | at UWW: Hill gave UMHB the lead on UWW’s first drive, intercepting Ceniti and returning it 18 yards to the end zone in a momentum-shifting play. Hill also had 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery in the win.
Kamerin Ferguson | Football | at UWW: Ferguson set a new UMHB record for the longest rushing touchdown in program history with his 96-yard run in the third quarter. The junior running back finished with a team-best 112 yards on the ground, outgaining UWW’s entire rushing attack, who finished with just 88 yards as a unit.
Kamryn Taylor | Women’s Soccer | vs McMurry: In UMHB’s 2-0 defeat of McMurry on Saturday, Taylor put The Cru in the lead just before halftime with her second goal of the season. The freshman has now scored on two of her three shots this season and is one of only two Crusaders—Natalie Mason being the other—with multiple goals thus far.
