RICHARDSON, Texas- Down 2-1 through the first three sets in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament, the East Texas Baptist University volleyball team refused to relinquish their season, mounting a stunning come-from-behind, 3-2, win over Hardin-Simmons University. ETBU improves to 13-18 overall and will look for redemption against Concordia University Texas at 7:00 p.m.

Paige Miller led the team's attack with 14 kills, 10 digs, and four blocks in the comeback win. Abby Weaver added 13 kills while Bailey Byas had 10 kills Meredith Augsburger manned the offense, dishing out 25 assists and recorded three aces and Karina Lay collected 27 digs.

ETBU trailed HSU in the early moments of the first set 3-1, until a kill by Miller cut the slight deficit to one, 3-2. A service ace by Augsburger would tie up the set at 3-3 on the ensuing possession. The Tigers led 12-8 until the Cowgirls rattled off four consecutive points to even the game once again at 12-12. The momentum was now in HSU's corner, as they went on to outscore ETBU 13-5 to take the set one win.
ETBU responded with a vengeance to open the second set, taking the early 4-0 lead after an attack error from HSU. It was all Tigers for much of the set, as the Cowgirls would only draw to within three before ETBU silenced them with a 25-16 victory in set two.

Both teams battled back and forth for much of set three. ETBU gained the momentum after kills by Byas and Miller put them on top 10-6, heading into the midway point of the contest. The lead would grow to six, at 19-13 for the Tigers but HSU put together yet another run to cut the deficit to one, 20-19. The contest was all knotted at 22-22, when HSU closed out the pivotal set with three unanswered points to take the 2-1 match advantage.

Set four was nothing short of a slugfest, as both teams exchanged blows throughout much of the set. ETBU trailed 23-18 in the closing moments of the match, but another kill by Miller kept the Tigers' postseason hopes alive, cutting the lead to four. Down 24-21, Lizeth Flores ignited another spark for ETBU, getting a big time kill to cut the lead to two, 24-22. Several miscues by HSU ended up resulting in a Tiger's lead at 25-24, but an attack error ended up tying the ballgame at 25-25. Neither team wanted to surrender the set, as the Tigers needed 29 points and a kill by Byas to end the set with a 29-27 win and knot the match at 2-2.

Battle-tested and with all the momentum on their side, the Tigers eventually closed out the fifth and final set 15-10 off of a kill by Abby Weaver.

The Tigers now face a rematch with Concordia University Texas, which is set to get underway at 7:00 p.m.