WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team continued Crossroads League play Wednesday night by taking the first set before ultimately falling to Grace College, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-20, inside the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. 

The Foresters came out aggressively and earned a hard-fought opening-set victory on the road. After trailing 23-21 late in the set, Huntington scored the final four points to claim the opener and take an early 1-0 lead in the match. 

Grace responded by increasing its offensive efficiency over the next three sets, but Huntington continued to challenge the Lancers throughout the evening. The Foresters were tied 16-16 midway through the second set and built a commanding 10-2 advantage in the third before Grace rallied to claim the frame 25-22 and seize momentum. 

Sophomore Maggie Hollon continued her strong start to the season, recording a match-high 21 kills while adding six digs. The sophomore accounted for nearly half of Huntington’s offensive production and reached the 20-kill mark for the fourth time this season. 

Senior setter Lauren Ross continued to settle back into the lineup, recording 39 assists and 12 digs in just her second match since returning to action. Ross helped guide a Huntington offense that produced 49 kills. 

Trevyn Terry contributed seven kills and two blocks, while Liz Blackburn and Lexi McGee finished with six and five kills, respectively. Hallie Higgs added four kills and four block assists. Defensively, Kennedy Urban turned in a solid performances with 30 digs and two service aces, while Jadyn Samson chipped in 10 digs. 

Huntington finished with 84 digs and matched Grace with six service aces, but the Lancers used a .211 team hitting percentage and four players with at least eight kills to secure the conference victory. 

Head coach Kelsey Herber saw valuable lessons in the match despite the result. 

“Grace made several key adjustments tonight that we did not have a quick enough response to,” said Herber. “After our discipline block provided an obstacle for their attackers, they began working in soft shots, and we didn’t shut it down. We need to continue to execute and train the skill of finishing because the Crossroads League will always be a battle. This team is growing each day. We know exactly what to work on in practice tomorrow before having three non-conference matches. The game is the best teacher, so I think it will prepare us well for our next conference opponent.” 

The loss drops the Foresters to 2-8 overall and 0-2 in Crossroads League play. Huntington will step out of conference competition this weekend to compete in the AMF Memorial Tournament in Upland. The Foresters will take on Lawrence Tech on Friday at 11 a.m. before facing Pikeville (Ky.) at 4 p.m. Huntington will conclude tournament play Saturday against Indiana Southeast at 8 a.m.