WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team (11-3, 2-2 CL) went toe-to-toe with rival #22 Taylor (12-4,3-1) on Saturday afternoon but ultimately came up short in four sets, dropping the Crossroads League contest 25-19, 24-26, 21-25, 21-25. 

The Foresters came out strong in the opening frame, hitting .170 as a team and securing a 25-19 win to take the early lead. Despite a hard-fought second set that went down to the wire, HU couldn’t hold off the Trojans’ late push, and Taylor used that momentum to seal the deal.  

Sophomore Maggie Hollon powered Huntington’s offense with a team-high 17 kills while also adding a block assist. Haley Kruse chipped in 8 kills and a match-best 17 digs for an all-around performance, while Leah Carter and Trevyn Terry tallied 7 and 6 kills respectively, each adding four block assists at the net. 

Setter Kennedy Urban directed the attack with 20 assists to go along with 14 digs, and Lauren Ross contributed 15 helpers and 9 digs. On the defensive end, libero Layla Meyer anchored the back row with 25 digs to keep rallies alive. 

As a team, Huntington registered 51 kills, 88 digs, and 16 total blocks in one of their grittiest defensive efforts of the season. 

“Letting set two slip through our fingers was a pivotal moment in the match,” said head coach Kelsey Herber. “After our match with Mount Vernon, our goal was to train and grow in finishing a tight set. I’m disappointed we didn’t execute that today. We will continue to train that both mentally and fundamentally moving forward.” 

With the setback, HU moves to 11-3 overall and 2-2 in league play. The Foresters return home next week for a two-match slate against Marian University (Wednesday 7:00pm) and Indiana Wesleyan University (Saturday 1:00pm). Huntington will look to bounce back and regain the early season swagger.