Women’s Volleyball

The Foresters opened the day by pushing IU Columbus to five sets before falling 25-13, 22-25, 31-29, 19-25, 15-10. Huntington then closed the tournament with a three-set setback against Saint Mary of the Woods, 25-13, 25-11, 28-26.

Huntington’s strongest performance of the day came in the morning match against IU Columbus. After dropping the opening set, the Foresters responded with authority, claiming the second set and forcing extra points in a thrilling third set before later taking the fourth to send the match to a decisive fifth.

Sophomore Maggie Hollon recorded a career-high 27 kills, turning in one of the top offensive performances by a Forester in recent years. The Warsaw native fueled several Huntington rallies and helped the Foresters force a decisive fifth set. Liz Blackburn continued her strong opening weekend, contributing 11 kills, 22 digs and three service aces while impacting the match in all six rotations.

The Foresters also received key contributions throughout the lineup. Ava Johnson shared setting duties and finished with 22 assists and nine digs, while Hallie Higgs added four kills and two blocks. London Murray and Jadyn Samson helped anchor Huntington’s defensive effort as the Foresters totaled 84 digs in the five-set battle.

Veteran leaders Kennedy Urban, Trevyn Terry and Allie Boyer played key roles throughout the five-set battle. Urban contributed 22 assists and 10 digs, Terry added six kills and two blocks, and Boyer chipped in three kills and two blocks as Huntington battled to the final points.

In the afternoon finale against Saint Mary of the Woods, the Foresters found themselves trailing after dropping the opening two sets. Rather than fold, Huntington produced its best volleyball of the match in the third set and pushed the Pomeroys deep into extra points before ultimately falling 28-26.

Terry paced Huntington’s attack against Saint Mary of the Woods with four kills while hitting .300, while Hollon chipped in six kills and 10 digs. Boyer contributed four kills, and Blackburn finished with five kills as the Foresters continued to find offensive rhythm as the match progressed.

The third set showcased Huntington’s competitiveness, as the Foresters refused to go away despite facing a two-set deficit. Higgs delivered several timely points, Johnson distributed 11 assists, and Huntington battled point-for-point with Saint Mary of the Woods for much of the set before narrowly missing an opportunity to extend the match.

Head coach Kelsey Herber remained focused on the long-term growth of the program following the opening weekend.

“Going 0-4 on opening weekend is hard. However, the best things are on the other side of hard,” said Herber. “I’ve challenged the team to embrace determination over defeat. We are going to gain the quantity and quality of reps we need this week in practice, as well as train the skill of winning. This team will get there. I’m grateful for the growth we saw throughout the weekend.”

While the Foresters did not come away with a victory during opening weekend, there were plenty of positives to build upon. Terry, Urban and Boyer provided steady leadership throughout the tournament, while Hollon emerged as a reliable offensive weapon and several newcomers gained valuable experience against quality competition. Huntington also showed consistent improvement throughout the weekend, highlighted by a five-set battle with IU Columbus and a late push against Saint Mary of the Woods. The Foresters will look to carry that momentum into the next week of training as they continue preparing for the challenges ahead.