VOLLEYBALL

Fans got their money’s worth Friday night in a hotly contested Crossroads League battle between the HU volleyball team and the visiting Grace Lancers (9-10, 5-3). It’s become the norm for these two squads with the Lancers getting the 3-2 nod on this particular night, 15-25, 25-19, 25-18, 24-26, 15-13.

Last year the two squads split in the regular season with Grace winning the first meeting before Huntington earned a hard-fought five-set thriller several weeks later.

It’s the fifth time this season the Foresters (9-9, 3-5) have extended a match to five. While tonight’s loss was notably harder given the long-standing league rivalry, HU still holds a 3-2 advantage when it comes down to the rubber match.

Herber and company could do no wrong in the opening set to cruise to the ten-point W. HU committed just three attacking errors on the way to logging a .333 hitting percentage. They committed just one service error and posted a pair of blocks in one of their finest sets of the season.

Unfortunately sets two and three were night and day from the first set as the Lancers turned into the aggressors to jump in front 2-1. But as has been the case all season, the Foresters can never be counted out. Down by as many as five late in the fourth set and facing set point twice, HU rallied back to reel off four straight points on the way to the 26-24 come-from-behind win.

The fifth set was up for grabs having featured nine ties and seven lead changes before the visitors slipped out of Platt Arena with the victory.

“That loss stings because we worked extremely hard that match,” said Coach Herber. “I love the fight we brought in sets four and five. I wanted it for my girls so badly.”

Paige Eakright finished with 17 kills as one of three Foresters to finish in double digits. Brea Metz and Anna Lewis posted ten kills apiece. From the middle, Tya Bynum and Lindsay Ingenito each put down eight.

Jennings Tacosik finished with a double double of 48 assists and 13 digs. As always Ariene Butler was stellar defensively with 19 digs while Eakright added 12.

While it wasn’t the outcome Herber was hoping for, she loves what she sees from this team day in and day out. “There is no doubt in my mind we are improving. What we work on in practice is translating to matches.

“I want to do everything I can to help my girls stay motivated and encouraged because the effort they’re putting in will pay off in the end. We play a great IWU team tomorrow and need to be prepared to step on that court from the get-go with the same fight we showed tonight.”

The Foresters travel to 4th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan tomorrow for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with the Wildcats.