VOLLEYBALL

The Huntington University volleyball team opened its season over the weekend by hosting their annual Forester Invitational where they split each day to finish 2-2 overall. It was a welcomed start compared to last year when COVID prevented a pre-conference schedule.

Overall, Coach Herber was excited about what she saw. “We have gamers on the team who want the ball in their hands when the game is on the line, and I love it.

“It is also refreshing to have the opportunity to play non-conference matches to begin our season in order to identify our areas of strength and growth before heading into conference play.”

In the opener against Mount Mercy (1-0) on Friday morning, HU kept things close throughout before succumbing to a 3-0 loss, 25-20, 25-22, 29-27. While the Foresters outhit their visitors, 31-25, and logged five aces to the Mustangs’ one, too many attacking errors proved their demise.

Sophomore Abby Robinson was a force at the net, finishing with a match-best 12 kills. She also led the match defensively with 14 digs. Lindsey Ingenito added seven kills while Kourtney Grimm finished with four to go along with 12 digs for an impressive start to her collegiate career.

Morgan Robrock orchestrated the offense by handing out 28 assists.

One of the highlights of the weekend came later that day when Huntington picked up a convincing three-set win over Calumet College of Saint Joseph, 25-10, 26-24, 25-15. It’s HU’s seventh straight win over the Crimson Wave.

The first time donning a Forester uniform, De’Janea Johnson led a balanced attack for Herber’s crew. The University of Indy transfer topped all players with ten kills. Robinson collected eight to go along with seven digs. Ingenito and Tya Bynum each put down seven, but it was their efficiency that made for quite the show as they needed just 21 swings to post a combine 14 kills.

Robrock did a little bit of everything for HU by dishing out 32 assists, tallying a match-best eight digs and notching 1.5 blocks.

Against Lewis-Clark on Saturday morning, the Warriors’ presence at the net proved a nuisance to the Foresters as they struggled to get much going offensively. HU finished with 20 kills to LCSC’s 32 with Bynum and Robrock logging five kills apiece. Robrock also filled the stat sheet with 14 assists, eight digs and 2.5 blocks. As Huntington’s libero, Robinson tracked down ten digs.

HU saved its best volleyball for last by closing out the invitational with a 3-1 come-from-behind win, 21-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-17, over Saint Ambrose. It’s the Foresters’ third matchup with the Bees in the last decade with today’s win the first of those meetings.

Herber loved her squad’s play to wrap up the weekend. “The relaxed intensity our team played with against Saint Ambrose is the sweet spot of being the aggressor and staying loose. The confidence we played with made the match so much fun.”

Herber’s middles were the driving force behind HU’s attack. The pair combined for 23 of the hosts’ 43 kills. Ingenito racked up a team-high 12 kills on 19 swings for an impressive .632 hitting percentage while Bynum finished with 11 kills on 22 swings and patrolled the net for three blocks. Robinson added nine kills, eight digs and three aces. As her team’s catalyst, Robrock doled out 28 dimes while Maddie Boomershine served as Herber’s libero and didn’t disappoint by pacing the hosts with 12 digs.

“Our middles were outstanding tonight,” said Herber. “Their ability to take what the block gives them, see the floor and hit the open shot made them unstoppable.”

The Foresters (2-2) are back in action Tuesday when they head up north for a tri-match at Concordia.