VOLLEYBALL

It was another split for the Forester volleyball team on day two of Indiana Tech’s Liz Lykowski Memorial Tournament. The morning saw Judson take down HU in three, 25-23, 25-19, 25-19, but it was sweet revenge in afternoon as Huntington righted their wrong against UNOH in four sets, 20-25, 25-21, 25-8, 25-8.

HU’s clash with UNOH proved the highlight of the weekend for Herber and crew. The Foresters had to overcome a first set loss but got steadily better each set which included giving up a mere eight points in the final set. HU committed just two hitting errors on the way to racking up 14 kills while allowing just five kills and forcing eight UNOH errors for a dominating performance to close out the invite.

For the match, HU outhit Northwestern Ohio 51-32 behind Tya Bynum’s 11 kills on 20 swings. De’Janea Johnson, Kortney Grimm and Lindsay Ingenito added nine kills apiece. Johnson also collected 17 digs while Hannah Maier enjoyed match-high dig honors with 23.  Morgan Robrock had a sensational outing to finish with 37 assists, four kills, four aces and 15 digs.

The win avenges a 3-1 loss to UNOH at the Manchester Invitational last month and snaps a nine-game streak the Racers held over HU. Today also marked Huntington’s first ever W against them since the series began in 2011.

“Our match against UNOH was a blast,” said Coach Kelsey Herber. “I believe this is the best we’ve played yet this season, and I’m incredibly proud of our defensive intensity and the enthusiasm that radiated from each player.”

The morning match with Judson was one the Foresters would like to have back.

“Against Judson, our defense was not quick on their feet, and we had trouble getting used to the block,” said Herber. “However, we made adjustments and improved. Unfortunately, we didn’t play with the consistency in our fundamentals or our energy that we needed to in order to walk away with a win.”

Johnson topped the Foresters with ten kills while Abby Robinson and Ingenito tallied eight and seven respectively. Mikailah Thompson spearheaded the defense with 11 digs while Johnson tracked down ten. Per usual, Robrock orchestrated the offense by handing out 31 assists.

Johnson had an outstanding weekend to be one of six players named to the All-Tournament Team and her coach had nothing but praise for the University of Indy transfer. “De’Janea was named to the All-Tournament Team and it was well-deserved,” noted Herber.

“She was a consistent offensive weapon, defensive machine and vocal leader. We are grateful to have her as a part of our family this year.”

The Foresters (11-16) head back to Fort Wayne on Wednesday to face Saint Francis at 7:00 p.m.