TYLER, Texas - Competing on their first day of the American Southwest Conference Crossover Tournament in Tyler, the East Texas Baptist University volleyball team  split on the day.  They defeated Howard Payne in the first match and fell to Concordia University-Texas in the last match.This puts ETBU's record at 12-11 overall and 6-6 in ASC East play.

ETBU swept the first match of the day in three straight sets against HPU. Leading the way for the Tigers was a double-double performance from Paige Miller (12 kills, 13 digs) while Natalie Coburn had 11 kills. Karina Lay was the top digger with 19 on the day while Elyse Shaw led with 19 assists.
 
Game two saw the Tigers come up short against Concordia University in three sets. Alison Sevening had seven kills on the day to lead ETBU while Miller collected 14 digs and Cassidy Zellmer added a double-double with 12 assists and 10 digs.
 
Game 1: ETBU 3, HPU 0
 
HPU started the game with four straight points before a service error secured ETBU's first point. The Yellow Jackets would extend the lead to 7-2 before ETBU answered with nine unanswered points. That rally started and ended with kills from Coburn, who picked up three during the stretch as ETBU led 11-7. HPU tied the game with four straight points before a Coburn started a rally of four ETBU points for a 15-11 lead. HPU would get the game as close as 15-13. But from that point on, it was all Tigers as ETBU finished the set with a 10-1 rally to win set one 25-14. Miller posted five kills in that run, including the one to end the set.
 
The Tigers would start the second set with a 4-2 lead before HPU put together six straight points to lead 8-4. A kill from Alison Sevening was followed by two straight service aces from Cassidy Zellmer as ETBU trailed 8-7. HPU was able to push the lead up to 12-9 before ETBU would grab the lead from four straight points as Lizbeth Flores got the go-ahead kill. Down 14-13, Sevening gave ETBU the lead for good as ETBU raced out to a 6-3 run to go up 20-16. ETBU finished the set with a 5-2 run as Bailey Byas contributed with two kills in the 25-18 set two win.
 
After surrendering the first point of set three, ETBU would strike for five consecutive points starting with a Miller kill and ended with an attack error by the Yellow Jackets. This wound up being a lead ETBU would keep throughout the rest of the set. HPU got as close as 8-5 only for ETBU to up the lead to 14-5 led by two kills from Sevening. HPU attack errors upped ETBU's lead to 18-8 before HPU got two straight points to reach double-digits. Miller secured her double-double with two straight kills and a 20-10 lead. In the end, the two teams traded the next nine points with ETBU securing five of them as the Tigers completed the sweep with a 25-14 win.
 
Game 2: CTX 3, ETBU 0
 
CTX came out on fire with four of the first five points. Service aces by Alexis Contos and Zellmer plus kills from Miller and Sevening tied it at five before ETBU grabbed the lead on two occasions from a CTX attack error to lead 8-7. The momentum then swung in CTX's favor as a 6-1 run gave them a 13-9 edge. ETBU would surge back as they would cut the deficit down before tying it at 18 on a kill by Byas. Four straight points by the Tornados would help secure them a 22-18 edge before ETBU rallied to tie the set at 23 as Shaw and Julia De Los Santos got service aces. However, a CTX kill and an attack error by ETBU finished off the first set with a 25-23 score in favor of the Tornados.
 
As set two started, CTX gave ETBU two straight points by errors while Lindsey Hill made it 3-0. HPU then tied the score at four apiece and the teams would exchange points on the next ten serves. At 9-9, CTX would secure the control as they would go on a 7-3 run to lead 16-12. ETBU would then pick up kills by Sydney Lopez and Hill, which led to a tie score at 16 apiece. After scoring two points apiece for a 18-18 score, control went back to HPU as they would finish on a 7-1 run to win 25-19.
 
Contos and Sevening would give ETBU their only lead of set three with kills before HPU rallied with four points to tie it 4-4. They would then grab control with a 10-1 run to lead 14-5. The Tigers would only get as close as eight points. But for the rest of the set, they could not stop a double-digit lead by CTX as the Tornados would grab as high of a lead as 12 points at 19-7. Ultimately, ETBU would reach back to single digits as they would get it 24-16 before CTX secured the victory at 25-16.

ETBU will play the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor at 12:00 p.m. in their final match of the ASC Crossover Invitational.
 
ETBU will finish their crossover tomorrow at 12:00 PM as they take on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.