LONGVIEW, Texas -- Kaci Monk, Hannah Payan, and Allison Smith all had double-digit kill efforts and the LeTourneau volleyball team rallied from a first-set loss to defeat visiting Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-1 (19-25, 25-19, 27-25, 25-21), on Saturday afternoon inside Solheim Arena.

The win snapped a 23-match losing streak for LeTourneau (8-9, 1-1 ASC) against UMHB (16-3, 2-2 ASC). It was the first win for the YellowJackets over the Cru since 2010.

After being limited in the first set offensively, LeTourneau turned up the pressure throughout the match. Monk finished with 16 kills, while Payan had 13 and Smith added 11. Smith hit .346 in the match and Monk totaled a .297 hitting percentage. Emma Smith recorded a season-high nine kills with a .389 percentage.

Nora Lockhart and Yari Ortiz had six kills apiece.

Reina Lawson recorded a double-double with 29 assists and 12 digs to go with two aces and two kills. Grace Talkington added 19 assists and eight digs. Morgan Nix led all players with 27 digs.

LeTourneau broke a 19-19 tie in the second set and scored the final six points to even the match. Lockhart, Ortiz, and Allison Smith all had kills in the final stretch and an ace from Nix ended the set. The YellowJackets had 17 kills in the frame and hit .275 as a team.

In a crucial third set, LeTourneau found a way in the end. The YellowJackets led 24-22 but saw the Cru score three straight to take a 25-24 lead. LeTourneau scored the final three points as back-to-back Cru errors gave the YellowJackets the lead before a Monk kill completed the comeback and a 2-1 match lead.

In the fourth, LeTourneau built a 16-11 lead after a Monk kill and led 18-12. UMHB crawled back to three on several occasions, but LeTourneau withstood the rally. Another kill from Monk completed the set and the win.

LeTourneau had 19 kills in the fourth set and held a 63-52 advantage in kills in the match. The YellowJackets hit .203 as a unit.

Baylee Mobley led UMHB with 14 kills, while Cameron Pesek (12) and Dravyn Hurd (10) had double-digit kills.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau hits the road to face Howard Payne on Oct. 4 (6 p.m.).

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