WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team was unable to overcome several momentum swings on Saturday afternoon, falling to Marian University in straight sets 25-23, 25-17, 25-13 in Crossroads League action inside Platt Arena. The loss dropped the Foresters to 7-12 overall and 3-5 in conference play. 

The opening set proved to be Huntington’s best opportunity to seize momentum. The Foresters used an early run to build an 11-7 advantage and later held a 21-16 lead before Marian rallied with an 8-1 surge to take the seize momentum. The Knights pulled even at 22-22 and closed the set on a 3-1 run to escape with a 25-23 victory. 

After letting the opening frame slip away, Huntington found itself battling from behind for much of the second set. The Foresters stayed within striking distance early and trailed just 14-11 after a Maggie Hollon kill, but Marian gradually extended its lead through efficient attacking and timely defensive plays. The Knights closed the set on an 11-6 run to take a 25-17 decision and a commanding 2-0 lead in the match. 

Marian carried that momentum into the third set. After Huntington erased an early four-point deficit to tie the score at 6-6, the Knights responded with a series of extended runs fueled by service pressure and offensive efficiency. Marian turned a 7-6 lead into a 17-9 advantage and never looked back, securing the sweep with a 25-13 victory. 

Sophomore Maggie Hollon led the Foresters with 13 kills and five digs. Trevyn Terry added eight kills while hitting .278 and contributed a service ace, while Hallie Higgs recorded three kills and was involved in four of Huntington’s seven blocks. 

Lauren Ross directed the offense with 27 assists, and Kennedy Urban anchored the back row with a team-high 19 digs. Jadyn Samson also reached double figures defensively with 10 digs while adding a service ace. 

The difference ultimately came during Marian’s extended runs and Huntington’s inability to limit errors. The Foresters finished with 31 kills but committed 22 attack errors and hit .080 as a team. Marian countered with a .216 attack percentage while also recording 10 service aces and holding a 51-46 advantage in digs. 

Head coach Kelsey Herber pointed to both execution and mindset as factors in the outcome. 

“Attacking, serving, and reception errors hurt us today. This was rooted in both fundamentals and the mental game,” said Herber. “In order to win matches in the Crossroads League, we can’t play it safe. We need to make plays in big moments and losing one set cannot derail us from the battle. My hope is that this match is a pivotal moment for us in our season, a hard match that catapults us into growth.” 

The Foresters will look to turn the page quickly when they travel to Manchester University on Monday for a 6 p.m. non-conference match. Although the Spartans are not yet members of the Crossroads League, they will soon become familiar conference foes in the years ahead.