WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team earned its first victory of the 2026 season Friday at the Onset Invitational, splitting a pair of matches at the Turnstone Center in Fort Wayne. 

The Foresters opened the day with a hard-fought 25-23, 25-18, 25-16 loss to Defiance before responding with a convincing 25-14, 25-19, 25-17 sweep of Midway. 

Despite the straight-set loss to Defiance, Huntington showed plenty of fight in the morning match. The Foresters built an early lead and later erased a seven-point deficit in the opening set before pulling even at 23-23. Defiance answered with the final two points of the frame, however, and carried that momentum through the final two sets. 

Sophomore Maggie Hollon led Huntington’s attack against the Yellow Jackets with 16 kills and 14 digs, while senior Trevyn Terry turned in another efficient performance.. The veteran middle recorded eight kills on just 11 swings and finished with a .545 hitting percentage while adding three blocks. 

The Foresters also received key contributions from throughout the lineup. Jadyn Samson anchored the defense with 24 digs, Kennedy Urban directed the offense with 20 assists and 15 digs, and Liz Blackburn added four kills and 10 digs. 

Huntington wasted little time bouncing back in the afternoon. Facing Midway in the day’s second match, the Foresters delivered their most complete performance of the season to secure their first win of the year. Huntington never trailed in the opening set, building an early advantage before cruising to a 25-14 victory. 

Junior Lexi McGee spearheaded the offensive attack, hammering down 12 kills on 18 swings while posting an impressive .667 hitting percentage.  

Hollon continued her strong play with 10 kills and 10 digs, while Terry added six kills.. Allie Boyer chipped in four kills, and Hallie Higgs contributed three kills and a block. 

The second set proved to be a turning point. Trailing 18-15 late in the set, Huntington flipped the momentum behind a dominant closing run sparked by strong serving, aggressive net play, and timely kills from McGee, Hollon, Terry and Boyer. The Foresters scored 10 of the final 11 points to seize a 2-0 match advantage. 

Urban and Ava Johnson continued to provide a steady presence in the setter rotation, combining for 39 assists against Midway. Urban also added two service aces, while Blackburn contributed five kills, 15 digs and two aces. 

For the day, Hollon totaled 26 kills and 24 digs to continue her strong start to the season. Terry added 14 kills while hitting .462 across the two matches, and McGee’s breakout performance helped power Huntington to its first victory of 2026. 

The split showed progress for a young Forester squad. After narrowly missing an opportunity to take control early in the Defiance match, Huntington responded with poise and purpose in the afternoon. Veteran leaders Terry, Urban and Boyer continued to provide stability, while Hollon, McGee and Blackburn spearheaded the offensive attack in the team’s first win of the season. The Foresters will look to build on that momentum as competition continues at the Warrior Invitational on Saturday at 8:30am and 5:00pm in Fort Wayne.