WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University women’s volleyball team pushed Mount Vernon Nazarene University to the limit Wednesday night before falling in five sets, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 15-10, in Crossroads League action inside Platt Arena. 

The loss moves the Foresters to 11-13 overall and 4-6 in conference play, while the Cougars improve to 17-9 overall and 6-4 in league action. 

Huntington came out sharp in the opening set and delivered one of its best stretches of volleyball of the evening. The Foresters hit .370 with 20 kills in the frame while building an early 4-0 advantage and maintaining control throughout. Maggie Hollon and Trevyn Terry helped pace the offense as Huntington secured a convincing 25-18 victory. 

Mount Vernon Nazarene responded in the second set, using efficient attacking and several key late points to pull away for a 25-22 win and even the match. The Cougars then claimed another close 25-22 decision in the third set despite a strong rally by the Foresters. 

Trailing 17-12 in the third, Huntington battled back to tie the score at 17-17 and later closed within 24-22 before Mount Vernon Nazarene held on for the set victory and a 2-1 match lead. 

Facing elimination, the Foresters answered with another impressive stretch in the fourth set. With the score tied at 7-7, Huntington used a decisive run to build separation and seize momentum. The Foresters hit .295 with 16 kills and only three attack errors in the frame while holding the Cougars to a .159 attack percentage on the way to a 25-17 victory. 

The fifth set was tightly contested throughout. Huntington erased an early deficit and eventually pulled even at 10-10 following a kill by Allie Boyer. The Cougars, however, scored the final five points of the night to escape with the 15-10 win. 

“Tonight’s match hurts for our entire team, and it means this group cares deeply”, said head coach Kelsey Herber. “I’m proud of our growth, not only in our play but our battle tested mentality. I encourage the girls to walk away from this match determined, not defeated. We are going to continue to work on our blocking and putting the ball away out of serve receive. Lauren Ross did an excellent job pushing the tempo of our offense and I thought our outsides were offensive weapons.” 

Despite the loss, the Foresters finished with a 71-70 advantage in kills, outscored the Cougars 104-100, and totaled 86 digs in the five-set battle. 

Reigning NAIA Attacker of the Week Maggie Hollon continued her outstanding season with a match-high 28 kills while adding 12 digs, three service aces and a block. Hollon currently leads the NAIA with 5.00 kills per set and ranks second nationally in total kills with 440 through 24 matches, continuing to establish herself as one of the nation’s most productive attackers. 

Senior setter Lauren Ross once again directed the Huntington offense with 56 assists while also contributing seven kills on a team-best .438 hitting percentage and 13 digs. Ross helped guide a Forester attack that recorded 71 kills and hit .243 for the match. Ross is ninth in the NAIA, averaging 10.24 assists per set. 

Liz Blackburn added 13 kills and hit .312, while Trevyn Terry contributed 11 kills, four block assists and two service aces. Hallie Higgs chipped in nine kills and two block assists, and Allie Boyer added three kills and three block assists. 

Defensively, Kennedy Urban led the way with 23 digs while Ross and Hollon added 13 and 12 digs, respectively. Huntington also finished with 12 block assists and six service aces. 

Although the match ended in disappointment, Huntington showed continued growth throughout the evening. The Foresters controlled the opening set, responded to a 2-1 deficit with an impressive fourth-set effort, and were tied at 10-10 in the deciding set before Mount Vernon Nazarene pulled away late. Huntington displayed stretches of high-level volleyball and demonstrated its ability to compete with one of the top teams in the Crossroads League. 

Huntington returns to Platt Arena on Saturday for another important Crossroads League matchup when the Foresters host league leading Grace College at 1 p.m.