Abilene, Texas - After falling 25-8 in the first set of the match, the Howard Payne University volleyball team rallied back to capture a 3-2 victory over Hardin Simmons University on Friday evening. The Lady Jackets showed some impressive perseverance during the match, clawing back from 0-2 to force the game to five sets before securing their fourth conference win of the season.

Zhartaezia Bradley registered 22.5 points on 16 kills, eight blocks (5 assisted, 3 solo) and a .308 kill percentage during the match and Cheyanne Lovelady added a game-high 37 assists. Macy Maniscalo turned in an impressive performance as well, collecting five kills and five digs to go along with her three service aces to help lead Howard Payne (6-10, 4-3 ASC) to the victory.

The Cowgirls (7-11, 4-3 ASC) came out the gate quick, jumping out to a 10-5 start before the Lady Jackets were able to mount a response. Despite dropping the set 25-8, Head Coach Colleen Westfall kept her players calm and collected throughout the match and the rest of the game was highly contested by both sides.

The two sides exchanged points during the second set until Howard Payne was able to establish a 24-20 lead. But Hardin-Simmons mounted a last-minute comeback in the set, scoring on the next five possessions to will themselves to the 26-25 result and to go up 2-0 in the match.

Despite the come from behind win in set two and the lopsided first set, the Lady Jackets stay focused on the task at hand and began to mount their comeback during the games third set. They were able to score on their first three possessions to help set the tone for a momentum-changing third frame of the contest. 

Howard Payne's .343 attack percentage helped them control nearly the entire set but the two sides would exchange several volleys throughout. It was a tough fought set but the Lady Jackets were able to take the set and give themselves the confidence they needed to overcome the slow start. Zhartaezia Bradley would come up big in the set and helped HPU close it out with the 25-21 result.

The Cowgirls responded by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead in the games fourth frame only to see the Lady Jackets rally back to tie it up at 7-7 after an impressive kill from setter Cheyanne Lovelady. Both sides would exchange leads several times until Howard Payne was able to take a 14-13 lead and force a Hardin Simmons timeout. However, Howard Payne came out of the timeout and proceeded to score on six of the games next seven possessions to climb to a 20-14 lead.

The Lady Jackets would go on to win the set, 25-17 and steal the energy out of the Mabee Complex. They would never again trail in the game despite facing an onslaught of Hardin-Simmons' attacks and volleys. A 5-1 run down the stretch of the fifth set, fueled by freshman McKenna Walker and Zhartaezia Bradley, helped will Howard Payne to the come from behind victory, clinching the fifth and deciding set, 15-11.

McKenna Walker registered career-highs in points and kills, finishing with nine and seven respectively. Walker also came big for Lady Jackets while serving the ball. She also added 13 digs and four blocks while coming up big for her team in the final minutes of the game. Freshman Jordan Livingston was two digs shy of matching a career-high, finishing with a game-high 31 digs.

Howard Payne will once again be in Abilene tomorrow. This time they will face McMurry University at noon. If you can't make the drive to Abilene, be sure to visit HPUSports.com to find links to live video and statistics for tomorrows match. Be sure to follow the program on Twitter, @HPUVBall and on Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram, @HPUSports for in-game updates, interactive content and more.