Box Score

Postmatch Interview with Heather Leaverton and Bailey Keith (video)

DENTON, Texas – Houston Baptist senior outside hitter Heather Leaverton recorded her second double-double of the young season with 12 kills and 14 digs to lead the Huskies to a 3-0 (25-22, 27-25, 25-16) victory over UMKC Saturday afternoon in the North Texas Invitational at the North Texas Volleyball Center. Senior setter Victoria Weatherly and junior middle blocker Caiti Wenger were named to the all-tournament team.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Bailey Keith tied her career high with 11 kills, while sophomore middle blocker Madeline Gaffney added eight and Wenger had five for the Huskies (2-1). Freshman outside hitter Haley Mueller hit .312 with six kills to go along with eight digs. Weatherly dished out 35 assists and also had eight digs, while sophomore libero Esther Longoria had nine digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Haley Hoffman chipped in with seven digs.
 
HBU took a 7-5 lead in the first set on kills by Keith and Mueller, followed by an ace by Keith. UMKC scored four-straight points to take a 12-11 lead, but Keith tied it with a kill. The two teams stayed within a point of each other until Gaffney registered a kill, and the Huskies forced a Kangaroo hitting error to take a 21-19 lead. After a timeout, UMKC tied the set at 21, but Gaffney slammed down an overpass to put HBU back up by one. The Huskies forced three-straight hitting errors by the Kangaroos to take the opening set, 25-22. Gaffney and Leaverton each had four kills to lead the Huskies, while Lucas and Jarema had three each for the Kangaroos.
 
The Huskies jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the second as back-to-back kills by Keith capped a five-point run. The Kangaroos fought back to within two at 11-9, then tied the set at 13. UMKC took a 17-15 lead, then extended their advantage to three at 19-16, but HBU scored four in a row to reclaim the lead, 20-19. The Kangaroos bounced back to go ahead 21-20, but the Huskies scored three-straight to lead 23-21. After UMKC sided out, Leaverton's kill got HBU to set point, but the Kangaroos were able to answer and tie the set at 24. Kills by Keith gave the Huskies leads at 25-24 and 26-25, then a Kangaroos hitting error gave HBU a 2-0 lead in the match with a 27-25 decision. Keith had six kills in the set for HBU, while Lucas had eight for UMKC.
 
A kill by Leaverton, a block by Gaffney and Mueller, a kill by Mueller, and a block by Gaffney and Keith put HBU ahead 14-8 in the third. The Huskies extended their lead to 18-11 and later an ace by Wenger made the score 21-13. Leaverton's leadership took over late, as she had six kills and three digs in the final set, and the Huskies cruised to a 25-16 victory to clinch the match.
 
HBU hit .230 for the match, while holding UMKC to .093. The Huskies outdug the Kangaroos, 51-49, and held a 4-2 advantage in service aces. UMKC outblocked HBU, 6-3.
 
The Huskies return to action when they host Prairie View A&M in the home opener Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Sharp Gym.