ABILENE – Playing in their first road matches of the modified spring season, the Howard Payne Lady Jackets suffered a pair of straight-set losses at McMurry Tuesday night.
In the opening 25-16, 25-17, 25-9 loss to McMurry, Amaya Marshall, Mya Ross, Mitsue Rodriguez and Fabianna Bennett led the way with five kills each for Howard Payne (2-4, 0-4), while Canyon Hughes chipped in four.
Riley Brittain recorded 10 assists followed by Kaitlyn Elsten with nine and Ross and Bennett with one each.
Daisy Flores served HPU’s lone ace.
Defensively, Ross tallied seven digs followed by Elizabeth Benn with six, Bennett and Hughes with five each, Chloe Pryor with four, Brittain with three and Flores and Elsten with one apiece.
Marshall and Rodriguez were credited with blocks.
For McMurry (4-0, 4-0), Madison Cuellar notched 11 kills, Brynn Wilson dished out 15 assists, Megan Martinez served three aces, Adile Leal logged 13 digs and Kaylie Vasil and Addyson Tiffin finished with two blocks apiece.
During the 25-17, 25-15, 25-21 defeat against McMurry, Bennett led the HPU attack with four kills trailed by Marshall, Ross, Rodriguez and Delaney Etzler with three apiece, Elsten with two and Flores with one.
Brittain distributed eight assists followed by Elsten with five and Etzler, Flores and Hughes with one each.
Flores also served a pair of aces while Bennett and Ross added one apiece.
Flores’ 17 digs served as a team-high trailed by Brittain with nine Ross with seven, Pryor with six, Bennett with four, Marshall with two, and Elsten, Hughes and Rodriguez with one each.
Marshall, Hughes and Rodriguez registered blocks.
McMurry’s nightcap featured Tiffin and Tyler Richardson with six kills each, Wilson with 20 assists, Martinez with two aces, Richardson with two blocks and Leal with 15 digs.
The Lady Jackets are back in action at 3:30 p.m. Saturday when they host Concordia (0-0) in another ASC doubleheader.