WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team showed its resilience Wednesday night, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Saint Francis University 25-21, 17-25, 23-25, 25-11, 15-9 in a five-set Crossroads League battle inside Platt Arena. 

The victory improved the Foresters to 9-12 overall and 4-5 in conference play, while Saint Francis fell to 7-14 overall and 3-6 in league action. 

Huntington appeared to be in control of the opening set after building a 17-11 lead behind a balanced offensive attack. Saint Francis answered with a 9-1 run to take an 18-17 advantage, but the Foresters responded by scoring eight of the final 11 points. Maggie Hollon delivered three kills during the closing stretch as Huntington secured a 25-21 victory. 

The Cougars responded in the second set, using a lengthy mid-set run to turn a 14-12 contest into a 20-12 advantage. Huntington was unable to recover as Saint Francis evened the match with a 25-17 win. 

The third set featured several momentum swings. Huntington battled back from a five-point deficit and eventually claimed a 20-19 lead on a Hollon kill. Saint Francis answered late, however, and escaped with a 25-23 victory to move within one set of the match. 

Facing elimination, the Foresters delivered their most complete set of the night. Huntington raced out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth before extending the margin to 17-5. The Foresters hit an impressive .478 in the frame while committing just two attack errors, rolling to a dominant 25-11 victory to force a decisive fifth set. 

The momentum carried into the final frame. Huntington used a 6-2 run to build an 8-4 advantage at the side switch and never looked back. The Foresters scored five of the final six points, closing out the comeback with a 15-9 win. 

Sophomore Maggie Hollon delivered one of the finest performances of her career, recording a match-high 29 kills while hitting .290. The Warsaw native added 12 digs, two service aces and 31 points while posting her sixth 20-kill match of the season. The 29 kills marked both a career high and season high for Hollon as she continued her standout sophomore campaign. 

Lauren Ross was instrumental in Huntington’s comeback effort, recording 45 assists, seven kills, 10 digs and a service ace. The senior setter quarterbacked an offense that produced 61 kills, including Hollon’s career-best 29-kill performance, while helping the Foresters regain momentum after falling behind two sets to one. 

Hollon received plenty of support throughout the lineup. Liz Blackburn added nine kills, Trevyn Terry finished with eight kills and four service aces, and Allie Boyer contributed five kills. Jadyn Samson anchored the defense with 15 digs, three service aces and several key rallies during Huntington’s fourth-set surge. Kennedy Urban added 18 digs and six assists as the Foresters totaled 70 digs as a team. 

Head coach Kelsey Herber credited her team’s mindset adjustment and aggressive play for the comeback victory. 

“I am so incredibly proud of how we flipped a mental switch and became the aggressor in sets four and five,” said Herber. “Our service pressure and swinging for the kill in turn helped us out defensively. Lauren Ross ran a beautiful offense, and Maggie Hollon was an offensive weapon. I’m also grateful for Kennedy Urban’s leadership in the backcourt. We have two non-conference matches to utilize as training for round two of conference play. I’m thankful we finished round one on a high note.” 

The comeback victory was especially impressive considering the Foresters faced a 2-1 deficit against a conference opponent fighting for position in the Crossroads League standings. Huntington’s aggressive play and defensive resilience eventually wore down the Cougars and helped secure a critical conference win. 

Wednesday’s victory completed the first half of Crossroads League play for the Foresters. Huntington enters the second round of conference competition tied for sixth place in the league standings and will look to build momentum from the comeback win as it begins the stretch run of the season. While the Foresters relied heavily on newcomers early in the year, this group can no longer be considered a young team. Through 21 matches and a demanding conference schedule, Huntington has gained valuable experience and grown through both successes and setbacks. The Foresters will look to use those lessons as they begin the second half of league play with their sights set on climbing the Crossroads League standings. 

Before returning to conference action, Huntington will travel to Gary, Indiana, this weekend to compete in the IU Northwest Tri-Match on Friday and Saturday. The Foresters will then resume Crossroads League play next Wednesday when they host Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Platt Arena.