New Orleans, La. - Riding into Friday off of their fourth consecutive win, the Marian volleyball team played a pair of thrilling matches in the Big Easy Blastoff, completing a reverse sweep of No. 7 Columbia, while earning a three-set win over host Xavier in the night cap. Marian's two wins extend their season-best streak to six consecutive, as they improve to 8-1 on the season.
Marian 3-2 No. 7 Columbia
The Knights battled in both of the first two sets against the seventh-ranked Cougars, putting up balanced offensive numbers leading the Cougars in kills in both sets, while holding an edge in hitting percentage in the first set. To Marian's chagrin, Columbia used runs in both sets, taking advantage of errors from the visitors on the scoreboard to build firm leads. In set one Marian rallied back behind Gabby Fish and Khori Dryden, but came up shot falling 25-22.
The second set remained equally competitive after runs were allowed, with Marian fighting back from an early 9-6 deficit. Columbia never led by more than four points in the final half of the set, due to the efforts of Sydney Schaffer and Madison Brooks. Marian would eventually lead 20-19, but saw their edge slip away after yielding a 4-0 run, going on to lose the set 25-23.
Trailing in the match 0-2, the Knights came out with a vengeance in the third set, getting a block from Mikayla Christiansen and Dart on the first rally, sparking an 8-3 run to open play. The Cougars would fight back to tie the set on four different occasions, as the two sides exchanged two and three point swings. With the score evened 15-15, Gabby Fish and Khori Dryden made the push to keep Marian in the lead, establishing a lead before a spike from Christiansen halted the difference in runs. Marian would go on to win the race to 20 points, and finished the set strong with kills from their senior outside hitters Fish and Christiansen to win the game 25-22. The Knights posted a .356 hitting percentage in the set win, landing 19 kills.
Marian made an early impression in the fourth set as the rally was on, opening the game with a 3-0 run to resulted in an early 10-7 lead. A 7-1 stretch paced by Evie Dart blocks gave the Knights breathing room from the Cougars, which was needed as Columbia began to fight back. The Cougars would get within three points on as many opportunities in the final 15 rallies, but were unable to inch the gap thanks to Marian's strong defense, as the Knights willed their way to a 25-18 win. Fish and Christiansen put the set away scoring the final points in the set.
With the match tied 2-2, Marian aimed to secure an early-season reverse sweep, doing so with gusto as they willed a quick 4-0 run to start the fifth set. Marian continued to fight as their lead grew to a 6-3 margin, going on a 6-0 run through a pair of Columbia timeouts to take a commanding 12-3 lead. Sarah Bennett played a key part in the run earning a pair of kills and a block, fueling the finishing touches. Sydney Schaffer and Madison Brooks keyed the winning 3-0 run, as Marian cruised in the final set, winning 15-4 to secure the 3-2 win.
Marian scored 84 points in the win and recorded 65 kills, out-scoring the seventh-ranked team in the NAIA by 21 points. Marian held an 11-5 lead in total blocks, and earned a two more service aces than the Cougars. The balanced offensive attack was led by Christiansen, who landed 16 kills to go with 17 digs, putting away her second double-double of the season. Fish and Dryden each finished the match with 14 kills, and Brooks had nine in the win. Emma Lyons had 28 digs and recorded six assists, while Logan Smith recorded 31 assists and 13 digs for a double-double. Sami Luttel had 21 assists in the match, and Evie Dart led Marian in total blocks with seven, all assists.
(RV) Marian 3-0 (RV) Xavier
After a gap between their lengthy win over Columbia, Marian returned to the court to play the host team Xavier, matching up in New Orleans for the second time in the series history. The Knights faced little challenges in the first set, as the offense came out firing on all cylinders with hitters Madison Brooks, Mikayla Christiansen, and Khori Dryden establishing a 12-6 lead. Xavier would inch within three after Marian's hot start, but a service error slowed the home team, as the Knights used a 7-0 run to take a commanding double-figure lead. Holding a 19-9 edge, Marian went on a 6-4 finishing run, getting kills from Sarah Bennett and Nicole Wilkinson in the spurt to close the 25-13 win.
Fatigue began to settle in for the Knights in the second and third sets, as Xavier was able to fight at an even pace with Marian throughout the two games. Neither team was able to grab a firm hold on the lead, as the score teetered between two points through the opening 22 rallies, with a 3-0 Marian run benefiting their early 12-10 lead. Xavier would pull in front 18-16 after going on a 5-1 swing, but the Knights were able to calm the Gold Nuggets offense with a pair of swings from Christiansen. The Gold Nuggets would push ahead 22-20, but after a timeout by Marian, Gabby Fish and Emma Hirchak helped push the Knights in front, as the lead shifted to a 25-24 advantage for the guests. Xavier would briefly tie the match, but back to back kills from Christiansen pushed Marian to the finish, giving them a 27-25 win.
Leading 2-0, Marian got off to a shaky start in the third set, falling behind 13-4 early in the game. A timeout calmed Marian as they rattled off three consecutive points in two different runs, forcing a timeout as they rallied within four. Xavier built their lead back to six with a 17-11 edge, but were unable to hold off the strong-minded Knights, as Fish and Emma Lyons helped ignite a 6-0 run to tie the game 17-17. A series of back and forth plays held the score in check, with Marian gaining a one-point led twice before the score locked into a 23-23 affair. Logan Smith scored a go-ahead kill to get Marian to set point, but Xavier denied the finish to extend the match. A swing from Gabby Fish saw Marian once again push in front by one and force match point, which would go to the Knights on the next rally on an attack error, closing the marathon day with a 26-24 third set win.
Marian's sweep is their fifth win in three sets this season. The offense of Marian was led by Christiansen, who scored 13 kills and 10 digs for her second consecutive double-double, while the senior posted a .257 hitting percentage. Fish hit .368 and recorded eight kills, and Hirchak had six of the team's 44 kills. Lyons led the team in digs with 12, and Sydney Schaffer and Logan Smith each had nine. Smith recorded 19 assists, while Sami Luttle had 18. Wilkinson led the team in block assists with three.
The Knights will look to grab their fourth win of the week on Saturday, facing an early turnaround as they play MidAmerica Nazarene at 10:30 a.m. ET.
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