WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team enjoyed a successful day at the IU Northwest Tri-Match on Friday, earning victories over the University of Northwestern Ohio and host Indiana Northwest while senior setter Lauren Ross reached the 2,000-career assist milestone. 

The Foresters opened the day with a 28-26, 25-20, 25-6 sweep of UNOH before battling past Indiana Northwest 25-17, 25-20, 27-29, 20-25, 15-8 to finish the one-day event with a perfect 2-0 record. 

Foresters Sweep UNOH 

The opening match featured a competitive first set before Huntington gradually took control. 

The Racers erased a late Huntington advantage and eventually reached set point at 24-23 before the Foresters answered. Huntington fought off multiple set points and closed out the marathon opener 28-26 behind the play of Maggie Hollon and Liz Blackburn. 

The Foresters carried that momentum into the second set, building a lead as large as 15-7 before weathering a late UNOH rally for a 25-20 victory. 

Huntington then dominated the third set. The Foresters raced out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back, hitting .567 in the final frame while limiting the Racers to a negative hitting percentage in a convincing 25-6 win. 

Sophomore Maggie Hollon led the way with 23 kills and 11 digs while hitting .315. Liz Blackburn added 11 kills on a .400 hitting percentage, while Lauren Ross recorded 45 assists as the Foresters finished with advantages in kills (56-28), assists (51-24), digs (73-63), aces (5-1) and hitting percentage (.248-.097). 

Foresters Outlast Indiana Northwest 

The second match of the day tested Huntington’s resilience. 

The Foresters controlled the opening two sets, jumping out to a 13-3 lead in the first frame before cruising to a 25-17 victory. Huntington followed with a 25-20 win in the second set to take command of the match. 

Indiana Northwest fought back in the third set, rallying from a 24-21 deficit and scoring the final four points to steal a 29-27 victory. The RedHawks then carried that momentum into the fourth set and forced a decisive fifth with a 25-20 win. 

Huntington responded when it mattered most. The Foresters built an 8-6 advantage at the side switch in the fifth set and steadily pulled away. Service aces by Ava Johnson and Kennedy Urban helped create separation before Trevyn Terry delivered the match-ending kill for a 15-8 victory. 

Hollon followed her strong opener with an even bigger performance in the nightcap, blasting 32 kills while hitting .271. The total established a new career high and gave her 55 kills on the day. 

Ross was instrumental throughout the tri-match, totaling 105 assists, nine kills, 23 digs and two service aces across the two victories. The senior setter directed an offense that produced 126 kills on the day and surpassed the 2,000-career assist milestone during Friday’s action.  

Hollon received plenty of support throughout the lineup. Blackburn added 23 kills across the two matches, Terry totaled 16 kills, and Hallie Higgs contributed 15 kills and five blocks. Urban anchored the defense with 48 digs on the day, while Jadyn Samson recorded 29 digs and four service aces. 

Head coach Kelsey Herber was pleased with both the results and the growth her team showed throughout the day. 

“The goal wasn’t to just walk away with two wins today. It was to grow as we go- to walk away knowing we are a better team today than we were when we walked in. We did that today and I couldn’t be more proud of my team,” said Herber. 

Herber also highlighted several standout individual performances. 

“Lauren Ross is already a fantastic player and she found a new level today. Kennedy Urban played fantastic defense, brought consistency in serve receive, and led vocally the entire day. Maggie Hollon hit a new career high in kills per match and continues to score in a variety of ways and makes it tough for teams to defend her.” 

The Foresters have now built valuable momentum heading into the second half of Crossroads League play. After completing the opening conference round tied for sixth place earlier this week, Huntington used Friday’s IU Northwest Tri-Match to sharpen its game and gain confidence before returning to league action. 

Huntington will return to the court on Wednesday, October 7th, when the Foresters host #19 Mount Vernon Nazarene University at 6 p.m. in Platt Arena. The match opens the second half of Crossroads League play as Huntington looks to continue its climb up the conference standings.