BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University volleyball team battled through a back-and-forth contest to defeat Mary Hardin-Baylor 3-2 (25-23, 16-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-10) Friday evening inside the Brownwood Coliseum.

The Yellow Jackets opened with a narrow first-set victory before the Crusaders answered with two straight frames. Facing elimination, HPU showed resilience in the fourth, edging UMHB 26-24 to force a decisive fifth. The Jackets then controlled the final set, securing their first conference win of the season.

Carli Briese led the offensive charge with 16 kills and three blocks, while Tara Bennett added 11 kills, 13 digs, and three service aces. Setter Ashlyn Kelly posted a match-high 32 assists along with three aces. Defensively, Bryanna Ordaz anchored the back row with 16 digs, and Sydnie Mullens chipped in 12 digs and steady play at the net.

As a team, the Jackets recorded 48 kills, 63 digs, and 12 service aces, outlasting a Crusader squad that tallied 54 kills and 58 digs.

Head Coach Nick Noll praised his team's toughness down the stretch: "I'm really proud of how our group responded when the pressure was on. We stayed composed, trusted each other, and found ways to make plays late in sets. This was a big step for us in conference play."

With the victory, Howard Payne improves to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in American Southwest Conference action. Mary Hardin-Baylor falls to 10-3 and 0-2 in ASC play.

Howard Payne returns to the Brownwood Coliseum on Saturday afternoon for another league matchup. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 p.m