RICHARDSON, TX (11.09.19) - The UT Dallas volleyball team claimed its fourth conference crown in the last five seasons Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor in the 2019 American Southwest Conference Tournament title match, hosted at the UTD Activity Center.

POST-GAME INTERVIEW: Coach Marci Allison & MVP Jillian Via

ASC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

The Comets (24-4) dropped the opening set to UMHB, 25-20, in a battle of ASC division champions, but bounced back for three straight victories, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22, to win the program's sixth all-time ASC championship. UTD will receive the ASC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship, making the team's seventh-ever appearance in the event, and will learn its first-round opponent and location Monday at 11:30 a.m. on the NCAA selection show.

"UMHB came out strong and played really, really well," said Comet head coach Marci Allison. "We brought our team in for a timeout and regrouped and we battled back. I am proud of how they responded to earn this title."

Senior outside hitter Jillian Via was named the ASC Tournament Most Valuable Player after sparking the Comets in the title match with 13 kills, along with 21 digs and three service aces. Senior setter Caroline Shecterle and senior middle blocker Lauren Schilling joined Via on the All-Tournament Team.

The Comets hit just .152 as a team in the opening set as UMHB took an early 1-0 lead over the team. UTD quickly took control of the second set with a 4-1 start to the stanza after an ace by Allison Owen. The Comets led the set until UMHB responded to snag a trio of two-point advantages, the latest at 18-16 after a block. However, a Schilling block followed by a Via ace knotted the set, 18-18, and the Comets added late kills from Schilling, Catherine Croft and Madison Ball before taking the second set on a Via kill. The Comets hit .231 in the second set, getting five kills each from Owen and Schilling.

UTD scored the first three points of the third set and trailed just one time before pulling away for a 25-16 win, taking a 2-1 lead in the match. Down 9-8, the Comets used a UMHB service error to tie the set and would use a late run of seven straight points on the service of Owen to regain control. UTD hit just .170 in the set, getting three kills and a pair of blocks from Schilling.

The Comets had their best set of the afternoon in the fourth, hitting .383 as a team in a 25-22 victory. Alyssa Porter sparked UTD with five kills and a block while Croft added four kills to push the Comets to the conference title. The Comets led for nearly the entire set before UMHB grabbed a 20-19 lead on a Sarah Paolini kill. After a UTD timeout, the Comets tied the set on a Croft kill, but the Cru responded with a kill by Miranda Klien to regain a one-point lead.

UTD then collected a Ball kill to knot the set, 21-21, and re-took the lead on a block by Porter and Via. After a Cru kill by Jenna Gillean to tie the decisive set, 22-22, the Comets took the lead for good on a service error and ended the mach on back-to-back kills by Owen and Porter.

Owen matched Via's team-best total of 13 kills in the victory while Croft and Schilling each had 11 kills. Shecterle dished out 31 assists (7.8 per set) in the Comets' 6-2 offense while UTD closed the match hitting .232. The Comets managed just four blocks, but collected six service aces.

UTD dropped a 3-2 decision to the Cru in the regular season.