SMU Vollyball Sets Win Record

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GREENVILLE, N.C. – The SMU volleyball team set a new record for victories in a season by winning its 26th in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-18) sweep at East Carolina at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Friday. SMU finishes the regular season with a 26-6 overall record and a 15-5 mark in in the American Athletic Conference, good for second place. The previous record for wins was 25, set during the 2010 season.

Libero Morgan Heise made program history by breaking the record for digs in a season after tallying 11 in the match, bringing her season total to 626. She passed Sydney Stewart who had 625 during the 2011 season.

Caroline Young led all attackers with 15 kills, in addition to 10 digs for her ninth double-double of the year. Cailin Bula added 12 kills and four digs; Abbey Bybel had seven kills and nine digs; and Avery Acker had a season-high five kills with her 39 assists and 10 digs.

SMU and East Carolina split the first 16 points of the match before SMU went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. The Mustangs built its lead to 22-13, prompting ECU to use a timeout. SMU took the opening set 25-17 on a Bula kill up the middle. Bula had six of her 12 kills in the set while Young had three in the frame. Acker assisted on 13 of 14 SMU kills in the set.

The Mustangs took control of the second set immediately. A quick 6-0 lead ballooned to 10-1 before

East Carolina called timeout. SMU kept momentum to win the set 25-7. ECU was held to -.143 attacking in the set while the Mustangs hit at a .444 clip. Young had six kills in the set while Bybel contributed three.

SMU doubled up East Carolina 14-7 in the third set. The Mustangs out-killed ECU 18-10 in the set. Heise broke the record on match point. Her dig led to a Young kill that was assisted by Aker. SMU took the set 25-18.

The Mustangs end the year on a four-match win streak, having won 10 of the last 11 matches.