BROWNWOOD, TX (09.25.21) - The UT Dallas volleyball team closed its three-match ASC road trip Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 win over Howard Payne.

The Comets evened their overall record to 7-7 with Saturday's victory and improved to 5-2 in ASC play. UTD returns home next weekend with matches against Hardin-Simmons (Friday, 6 p.m.) and McMurry (Saturday, 2 p.m.) at the UTD Activity Center.

UTD hit .289 as a team and committed no more than six errors in any set as the Comets cruised to the 25-17, 25-17, 25-12, win over the host Lady Jackets (2-9, 1-5 ASC). 

The trio of Catherine Croft, Abby Jones and Allison Owen each finished with a team-high nine kills in a balanced-offensive attack for the Comets. In her first appearance of the fall, Madison Ball had six kills and five digs in just one set played.

The Comets scored the first five points of the match to set the tone. UTD hit just .190 in the opening set, but held the Lady Jackets to just a .028 team hitting percentage in the 25-17 victory. Croft finished with six of her nine kills in the first set.

UTD had stronger second and third sets, hitting .325 and .375, respectively. Erin Rogers sparked the Comets with five kills in the second set while Ball had her strong debut in the third stanza.