LONGVIEW, Texas -- Fortune did not favor the LeTourneau volleyball team Saturday evening, as the YellowJackets dropped a pair of matches while hosting a SCAC Crossover event.

The afternoon match saw LeTourneau (14-11, 6-7 SCAC) nearly complete the reverse sweep, but the McMurry War Hawks would eventually secure the 3-2 (25-13, 25-22, 25-27, 25-27, 15-10) victory. Following this, the YellowJackets were featured in the nightcap versus St. Thomas, where the Celts would make a quick 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-16) sweep of LeTourneau.

Aubree McCann and Kaylyn Taylor led the YellowJackets in the kill department, with 18 kills apiece on the day.

Ashlyn Walther had seven blocks, while Maddy Hirneise garnered 28 digs between the two matches. Taylor also contributed 21 digs.

MATCH ONE: McMurry 3, LeTourneau 2

McCann had a match-high 16 kills in the contest, to accompany 10 digs for her fifth double-double on the campaign.

Nora Lockhart stuffed five attacks, and Grace Talkington provided 13 assists off the bench through the final three sets.

Taylor and Emma Smith racked up nine kills each, while Taylor had an additional 14 digs.

LeTourneau dropped a heartbreaker to begin the doubleheader, nearly completing a fantastic comeback.

With McMurry dominating set one and barely edging the Jackets out in set two, LeTourneau was on the ropes.

Facing match point, an emphatic kill from McCann would force extras in the third set, and back-to-back attack errors by the War Hawks (11-10, 5-8 SCAC) would cinch the third set 27-25 for LeTourneau to avoid the sweep.

The fourth set saw the same result, but a different path to get there. The YellowJackets opened up the set with a 6-0 run, and would take that lead all the way to set point.

McMurry strung together three straight to force match point once again, and once again, LeTourneau answered the call.

Just like the third set, a McCann kill and back-to-back War Hawk attack errors handed the Jackets a 27-25 set victory, forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.

Momentum swung back and forth for the first two-thirds of the final set, with neither team able to put together three straight points.

That was until McMurry, up 11-10, would take the final four points, winning the set and match in heartbreaking fashion. 

McMurry was led by Carli Colbert, who had a near triple-double with nine kills, 27 assists, and 10 digs.

MATCH TWO: St. Thomas 3, LeTourneau 0

The St. Thomas Celts, who sit atop the SCAC Gold Division and placed 25th in the most recent NPI ratings, were too much for the YellowJackets, sweeping them in three sets.

Emily Mullin had a team-high ninth double-double of her freshman campaign, scraping together 11 assists and 12 digs.

Walther also had three blocks in the nightcap.

The YellowJackets started the match off strong, trailing slightly at the 8-6 mark, before a 6-1 Celts run broke open the lead.  St. Thomas would go on to take the opening set 25-18.

The second set would be much closer, though, as LeTourneau found themselves leading in the back half up 17-16.

Unfortunately, a 7-2 run is all the Celts would need to get momentum in their favor and clinch the second set 25-21. They would not relinquish the momentum, taking it into the final set and walking away with the win.

Alexis Bodunrin led the way for St. Thomas with 17 kills in the match.

UP NEXT

It's a YellowJacket v. Yellow Jacket matchup on Halloween, as LeTourneau takes on old foe Howard Payne in Marshall, Texas, at 4:00 p.m.

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