WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team earned its second straight Crossroads League victory Saturday afternoon, sweeping No. 23 Spring Arbor University 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 inside Platt Arena. 

The victory improved the Foresters to 6-9 overall and 2-2 in Crossroads League play. After opening conference action with two losses, Huntington has responded with consecutive sweeps over Bethel and nationally ranked Spring Arbor. 

The opening two sets tested the Foresters’ resolve. Spring Arbor raced out to an 18-11 lead in the first set and later held a 20-17 advantage in the second, but Huntington answered both challenges. The Foresters closed the first set on a 14-5 run and rallied late in the second to claim another 25-23 victory before taking control of the match in the third. 

Sophomore Maggie Hollon led the Huntington attack with 13 kills and six digs. The Warsaw native continued her productive season and helped the Foresters secure key points during both comeback efforts. 

Freshman Liz Blackburn continued her strong play with 10 kills while hitting .333. Blackburn delivered several timely points down the stretch of the opening two sets and provided Huntington with a dependable second offensive option throughout the afternoon. 

Senior setter Lauren Ross orchestrated a balanced offense with 25 assists while contributing five kills on a .417 hitting percentage and 11 digs. Ross helped keep the Cougars off balance and guided a Huntington attack that finished with 34 kills despite facing one of the league’s top defensive teams. 

Trevyn Terry added three kills, four block assists and a solo block, while Hallie Higgs chipped in three block assists and Allie Boyer added three more. Huntington’s discipline at the net proved to be a difference maker as the Foresters totaled 14 team blocks and held Spring Arbor to a .089 hitting percentage. 

Defensively, Kennedy Urban anchored the back row with 23 digs, while Ava Johnson added two service aces and helped spark a key run in the third set. Jadyn Samson also contributed two aces as Huntington totaled five service aces in the victory. 

After surviving the first two sets, the Foresters turned the final frame into their most dominant stretch of the afternoon. Huntington built an early advantage and never allowed the Cougars to climb back into contention, closing out the nationally ranked opponent with a convincing 25-16 win. 

Head coach Kelsey Herber praised her team’s execution and continued growth. 

“A sweep in the Crossroads League is hard to come by and I couldn’t be more proud of this team for doing it twice in one week,” said Herber. “My girls executed the game plan with intentionality, and they truly enjoyed the game. This is a good team that we know can be great. We still have room for growth and that’s great news.” 

The win marked Huntington’s first victory over a nationally ranked opponent this season and continued the progress the Foresters have shown in recent weeks. After spending much of the season learning how to finish close sets, Huntington did exactly that against the No. 23 team in the country, rallying from deficits in each of the first two sets before completing the sweep. The Foresters will look to carry that momentum into Wednesday’s Crossroads League matchup at Goshen College. First serve is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.