MARSHALL, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' Cowgirl volleyball team stormed back to win 3-2 over Mary Hardin-Baylor in the semifinal to advance to the 2025 American Southwest Conference volleyball championship match on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Marshall.
 
The Cowgirls had to rally after dropping the first set 25-21 to the Crusaders. Hardin-Simmons got an incredible touch from Ari Villanueva diving into the table to lead to a Cowgirl point in the 25-20 set two win to tie the match 1-1.
 
UMHB got up 19-11 in the third set and things looked dire for Hardin-Simmons. The Cowgirls rattled off seven straight points before taking the set 25-23 over the Crusaders. The Cowgirls went to a marathon in set four and went down 32-30 to send the match into a final set to 15.
 
Hardin-Simmons again rallied after trailing early and got a back-breaking point from a pinpoint over by senior Gabby Jones that made it down for a kill to take a 14-11 lead. Liz Keidl led the Cowgirls to the ASC championship with a kill to win the set and match 15-12 over Mary Hardin-Baylor.
 
Leigh Jespersen had 18 kills and 29 digs to lead all Cowgirls on the day. Avery Tumlinson swing for 12 kills and Keidl finished with ten kills against UMHB in the win.
 
Ari Villanueva had 25 digs and Kat Martinez collected 24 digs to both keep the Cowgirl rally on with great defense. Keatyn Rodgers finished with 25 assists and Allison O'Shaughnessy ended with 24 assists in the win for Hardin-Simmons.
 
Head coach Kendall Crisp reaches the ASC championship for the first time in her career and takes the Cowgirls back to the final game of the tournament for the first time since 2013 on Saturday at 2 p.m. against the winner of ETBU and Howard Payne played Friday night.
 
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