Lady Jackets fall short in tight conference opener

MARSHALL, Texas — The Howard Payne University volleyball team dropped their first conference match of the year to East Texas Baptist University, falling 25-23, 26-24, 27-25 on Thursday, September 24, at Ornelas Gymnasium. The loss moved the Yellow Jackets to 7-2 overall and 0-1 in ASC play, while East Texas Baptist improved to 8-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Howard Payne battled throughout the match, with each set decided by three points or fewer. The Yellow Jackets held a 24-23 lead in the third set before East Texas Baptist scored the final five of six points to close out…