VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington volleyball team struggled to shut down a powerful Bethel offense to the tune of a 3-0 loss (25-21, 25-16, 25-20) Wednesday night at Platt Arena. Tonight’s win for the Pilots is their fourth straight that started with a 3-1 upset over #3 Marian.

“Tonight was a frustrating match for us,” said Coach Kelsey Herber. “We need to approach defense with a competitive edge that says ‘you won’t score on me twice in a row.’ I need us to think about it as the game within the game and respond to a great dig with the same amount of enthusiasm we would for a great kill.

“Tomorrow in practice we are going to work on defense, not only playing the ball, but being disciplined in our mindset. So much of defense is a decision, and we have to flip that switch.”

Up against one of the best blocking teams in the nation, the Foresters had a hard time hitting around Bethel’s wall. While HU had fewer hitting errors than their visitors, Bethel managed nearly twice as many kills as Herber and crew. The Pilots finished with 40 kills to Huntington’s 22 with Kortney Grimm posting ten of them.

Morgan Robrock dished out 18 assists and collected ten digs for the double double. She also accounted for 1.5 of her team’s six blocks.

With this loss, Huntington drops to 7-12 overall, 3-5 in league play. Next up the Foresters will face Grace at home on Friday at 7:00 p.m.