IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's volleyball team concluded its 2026 campaign Saturday evening inside the Ed Maher Athletic Center, falling to Colorado College in straight sets before battling McMurry in a five-set thriller to close out the season. Despite the pair of losses, the Crusaders showed resilience throughout the doubleheader, finishing the year with a 6-20 overall record and a 1-12 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play.
Game One: Colorado College 3, UDallas 0
UDallas opened the afternoon with a competitive showing against Colorado College, pushing the Tigers to extra points in the opening set before falling 26-24, 25-20 and 25-14. The Crusaders matched Colorado College's offensive production early, recording 14 kills and a .214 hitting percentage in the first set. However, the Tigers capitalized on timely scoring opportunities to secure the opening frame and maintained their momentum through the remainder of the match.
Faith Harris paced the Crusaders with 12 kills and 11 digs for a double-double, while Ellie Karasek added nine kills. Ja'Niyah Boudreaux contributed six kills and three blocks, matching Riley Mendiola for the team lead at the net. Anais Ibarra distributed 15 assists, while Gisele Morales added 13. Defensively, Ava Jackson led the back row with 12 digs as UDallas finished with 37 kills and four blocks.
Game Two: McMurry 3, UDallas 2
The Crusaders returned to the court for their season finale against McMurry, mounting an impressive comeback after dropping the opening two sets. Following a 25-11 setback in the first frame and a narrow 25-23 loss in the second, UDallas responded with consecutive 25-21 and 25-20 victories to force a decisive fifth set. The War Hawks ultimately secured the match with a 15-4 win in the final frame.
Harris once again led the offensive charge, recording a match-high 14 kills for UDallas alongside 12 digs, while Karasek followed with 12 kills. Boudreaux added five kills and two blocks, with Mendiola also contributing two blocks. Morales directed the offense with 13 assists, followed closely by Ibarra with 12 assists and three service aces.
Jackson anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 24 digs, her strongest performance of the afternoon, while the Crusaders totaled 68 digs and eight service aces. Despite being limited to a .050 hitting percentage, UDallas found ways to extend rallies and generate momentum in the third and fourth sets before McMurry pulled away in the deciding frame.
Season Wrap-Up
Saturday's doubleheader brought the 2026 season to a close for UDallas, with the Crusaders demonstrating determination in their final appearance at home. Harris led the offensive effort with a combined 26 kills and 23 digs across both matches, while Karasek contributed 21 kills. Jackson totaled 36 digs on the afternoon, and the setting combination of Ibarra and Morales produced 53 assists.
The Crusaders conclude their campaign with six victories, including an early-season win over McMurry, and will look to build on the experience gained throughout the fall as the program turns its attention toward the 2027 season.
