Sept. 17, 2002

Box Score

ABILENE, Texas - For the first time in 13 meetings, the Hardin-Simmons volleyball team defeated McMurry, with a 21-30, 30-26, 22-30, 30-26, 15-11 come-from-behind win on Thursday at Kimbrell Arena.

The Cowgirls trailed 2-1 heading into the fourth game, when they won 30-26 to send the match into a fifth game. In the fifth game the Cowgirls went ahead 8-7 before the change of courts, mainly by the right arm of Jenny Brawner who had five kills in the first eight points.

Up 8-7, the Cowgirls received three blocks - one by Casey Dowdy, one by Brawner and a combination block by Maggie Barnhill and Dowdy to close out the match, 15-11.

"This is a big win for these girls," said HSU head coach Krystal Brodbeck. "We never gave up and these girls showed a lot of heart. I am so proud. The big thing is we are 1-0 in conference and we beat our cross-town rivals."

Hardin-Simmons has four seniors and they had lost 11 straight times to McMurry.

"This is so sweet," said Dowdy, one of the four seniors. "We played hard and we finally got over the hump. They have been a mental thing for us for four years and we finally dug down deep to beat them. Beating them over here (Kimbrell Arena) made it that much more exciting."

Brawner led the Cowgirl attack with a triple-double. She had 15 kills, 12 digs and 10.5 blocks. Terri Guajardo led the Cowgirl defense with 25 digs and she also added nine kills. Dowdy had one of the best matches of her career with 10 kills, and seven total blocks.

Kasey Ridings had 46 assists and Maggie Barnhill had nine kills.

HSU improved to 7-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference play, McMurry fell to 7-3 and 0-1. The Cowgirls return to action Thurssday when they host Howard Payne at 7 p.m. at the Mabee Complex.