WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University women’s volleyball defended its home floor in impressive fashion on Friday, sweeping both Olivet Nazarene (25-20, 25-12, 35-33) and Indiana Northwest (25-17, 25-15, 25-14) at the Forester Quad. With the two victories, HU improves to 18-4 overall, while the victories gave head coach Kelsey Herber a career-high 17 wins, the most she has achieved in her seven seasons at the helm.

The opener against Olivet Nazarene ended in dramatic fashion with a marathon third set that saw both teams trading blows deep into extra points. The Foresters trailed 22-18 before storming back with a four-point run capped by kills from Maggie Hollon and Maisyn Robrock to tie the score. From there, neither team led by more than a point until the final stretch. HU fought off three set points, with Leah Carter and Trevyn Terry delivering clutch kills to keep the Foresters alive. Finally, Carter put HU ahead 34-33 before Sabrina Sanif’s attack sailed out of bounds to give Huntington the set 35-33 and secure the sweep. 

Robrock was dominant, hitting .643 with 10 kills and two blocks, while Terry (10 kills, .450) and Carter (9 kills, 3 blocks) provided steady production. The setter duo of Lauren Ross (18 assists, 6 digs) and Kennedy Urban (18 assists, 9 digs, 1 ace) kept the offense balanced, and libero Layla Meyer anchored the defense with 17 digs. 

The Foresters carried that momentum into their afternoon contest against Indiana Northwest, where they limited the RedHawks to a -.098 hitting percentage. Kruse led all players with 13 kills, Robrock added 9, and Hollon chipped in 8 more. Ross and Urban combined for 35 assists, while Meyer again set the tone defensively with 15 digs and 4 service aces. 

Across the two matches, Huntington hit a combined .256 while holding its opponents to just .015. Robrock, Kruse, and Terry headlined the offense, Meyer was a defensive anchor, and the setting tandem of Ross and Urban kept the Foresters in rhythm throughout the day. 

“I am grateful for two sweeps today. Even non-conference matches are a part of our process of growth and becoming the best team that we can be,” said Herber. “The girls get some much needed and deserved rest before we enter the second round of conference play. We have to keep working and growing each day to move toward our goals, and I am proud of what this group has accomplished thus far.”

The Foresters will return to Crossroads League action on Wednesday at 7:00pm, opening the second half of conference play on the road against the University of Saint Francis.