VOLLEYBALL

The HU volleyball team came out firing on all cylinders Wednesday night in their conference opener to take care of business against Saint Francis in three, 25-10, 25-21, 25-14.

The win is Huntington’s third straight, all of which have been sweeps. The Cougars started out the season 4-0 but have since lost seven straight, the last five in straight sets.  The past four times these two squads have met, HU has nabbed three wins over USF.

On this given night, the Foresters played off the energy of a lively student section in Platt Arena to jump in front 8-1 right out of the gate. They gave up a mere ten points in the first set, the fewest points allowed in a set this season.  The Cougars kept it close in the second set but then HU blew things wide open in the third and final set to enjoy the convincing win.

HU’s offensive efficiency was impressive. As a team, the hosts logged a season-high .386 hitting percentage. Morgan Robrock handed out 29 assists and showed no favoritism as five different Foresters tallied at least six kills. Kortney Grimm, Haley Kruse, Leah Carter and Trevyn Terry each finished with seven while Maisyn Robrock added six kills.

The two middles in Terry and Carter needed just 21 swings to pound out their 14 combined kills. Carter was also a terror at the net defensively with 3.5 of her team’s 11 blocks. Kruse, Grimm and Terry also made it tough for the Cougars to establish much rhythm offensively as each recorded two blocks.

“I’m proud of this team for how strong we started and finished the match,” said Coach Kelsey Herber. “We didn’t have a good passing night, yet Morgan Robrock did a beautiful job running our offense effectively.

“Our middles were a bright spot. They blocked consistently and scored almost every time they touched a ball. We are excited and motivated to keep moving forward. We are just getting started.”

With this win, the Foresters improve to 9-2 overall, 1-0 in league play. Herber and crew are back in Platt Arena Saturday to host Manchester at 11:00 a.m.