By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

SHERMAN, Texas -- Willamette University battled McMurry University (Texas) in three close sets, but the War Hawks prevailed in each set to defeat the Bearcats, 3-0, on Friday, Sept. 9 at the Austin College Invitational. McMurry won 25-23, 25-21, 27-25.

McMurry upped its record to 4-3. Willamette slipped to 2-4.

Alexa Dowdell (Sr., OH/OPP, Mililani, HI/Maryknoll HS) led the Bearcats with 13 kills, while Jennifer Lane (Fr., MH/OH, Salinas, CA/Notre Dame HS) and Emma Liband (Jr., MH, Sandpoint, ID/Sandpoint HS) each contributed seven kills. Liband finished with a .308 hitting percentage. Madison Haley (Fr., MH/OPP, Truckee, CA/Tahoe Truckee HS) hit .571 with four kills on seven attacks.

Kaylen Higa (So., LIB/DS, Mililani, HI/Punahou School) registered 17 kills for Willamette. She tied with Jaelyn Green of McMurry for match-high honors. Tynan Gable earned 18 assists.

Four War Hawks each recorded nine kills to give McMurry a balanced attack. The four leading attackers were Baylie Barnes, Jordyn Burnell, Katy Headrick and Justice McGowan. Madison Fatheree topped McMurry with 22 assists.

The match featured 19 ties to go along with six lead changes. In the first set, McMurry held leads of 7-3 and 12-10, but the team were tied at 12-12 following an attacking error by the War Hawks.

WU created three more ties before McMurry went on a 4-0 run for a 20-16 lead. The run began with three kills by Barnes and also included a kill by Madison Reed.

The Bearcats battled and evnetually took a 22-21 lead. Willamette extended the margin to 23-21 on a kill by Dowdell and assisted by Kunani Tuttle (Fr., S/OPP, Anahola, HI/Kappa HS). McMurry put together four consecutive points to win the set.

In the second set, Willamette owned two early one-point leads at 4-3 and 5-4. The War Hawks led 9-6, but the teams were eventually tied at 10-10 on a kill from Dowdell. The teams exchanged the next two points, and then McMurry won three straight rallies for a 14-11 edge.

Several points later, McMurry used a 5-0 run to increase its lead to 20-13. The Bearcats scored 10 fo the next 13 points to get as close as 23-21 on a kill by Dowdell. The War Hawks tallied the final two points of the set on a kill from Headrick and a kill registered by Burnell.

The War Hawks claimed a 14-9 lead in the third set following a combo block by Headrick and Reed, but had to hold off the Bearcats to end the match. WU reduced the margin to 17-16 on a block provided by Haley and Lane. The Bearcats trailed by three points later in the set, but went on to tie the War Hawks at 24-24 on an attacking error by McMurry.

Two rallies later, Dowdell pounded down a kill to tied the score at 25-25. A kill by Burnell moved the War Hawks back into the lead, and a kill from McGowan supplied them with the final point.

Willamette will play two games in the Austin College Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10. The Bearcats will take on Concordia University (Texas) at 1 p.m. CDT/11 a.m. PDT and will face Austin College at 3 p.m. CDT/1 p.m. PDT.