INDIANAPOLIS - On a night where Emma Lyons recorded her 1000th career dig and broke her own single-match dig record, the Marian volleyball team earned a thrilling five-set reverse sweep over Huntington in the PE Center. Marian's win gives them an overall record of 13-2 on the year, while they improve in the Crossroads League to 4-1.
In an evenly-matched battle between the Foresters and Knights, Marian found themselves playing from behind after two sets, as Huntington rattled off wins with scores of 25-18 and 25-23. Huntington built a 7-4 lead in the early stages of the first set, and expanded their lead to six over the next seven rallies, giving them command of the set. Marian was able rally within a point of the Foresters in the first set, but Huntington reclaimed their advantage of five points before rolling to the victory. The second set teetered back and forth for the duration of the game, with both teams answering the other's offensive attack. Huntington saw a 20-16 lead erased late in the second set as Marian rallied on a 4-0 run, but the Knights were unable to hold their momentum, falling 25-23.
Trailing 0-2, the Knights started the third set motivated, as Khori Dryden and Gabby Fish willed Marian to an early 7-2 lead. Huntington would respond and tie the game at 10-10, however they were unable to capture the lead, as Madison Brooks pushed her team back in front with a pair of kills. Marian would only trail the opening point in the third set, leading the rest of the way as Fish, Brooks, and Evie Dart carried the Knights to a 25-22 win, getting the winning point on a Sarah Bennett kill.
The fourth set was a near mirror of the second, with both Marian and Huntington going round for round in the game, with neither team gaining a lead of more than four. Huntington pushed ahead first by building a 10-7 lead, which grew to four points over the next three rallies. A service error from Huntington killed their momentum and 12-8 lead, as the Knights slowly chipped away, eventually using a 4-0 run to take a 17-16 lead. Mikayla Christiansen was the catalyst in the run, getting a pair of blocks and kill that put her team in the lead. Both sides scored multiple 2-0 runs as the lead shifted back and forth, eventually landing with Marian in front by a 23-22 count. Dryden and Dart scored the final two points of the game for Marian, forcing a fifth set following the 25-23 win.
In the final game, Huntington controlled all the momentum in the first half of the set, as a string of three consecutive blocks fueled a 7-1 run that gave the Foresters a 9-4 lead. The two sides exchanged points as Huntington moved within five points of a win, but the 10-5 lead was not safe, as a service error by Huntington put the ball back in Emma Lyons hands for Marian. The junior libero started a strong serving run, putting Marian in control as kills from Christiansen and Forester errors quickly helped Marian tie the score at 10-10, forcing the second of Huntington's timeouts. Marian continued the run after the stoppage as Lyons recorded a service ace, helping push Marian to a 14-10 lead as Bennett and Brooks were able to connect on kills from Sami Luttel. Huntington would break the rally with a pair of kills, but it was not enough to stop the Knights, as Christiansen buried her final attack of the match to win the fifth set 15-12, giving Marian the 3-2 win.
In the first set, Emma Lyons became Marian's seventh player since 2008 to record her 1000th career dig, and finished the match with a career-best, breaking her own single-match dig record with 46 on the evening. Lyons nearly completed a double-double as she ended the night with nine assists. The junior also had one service ace.
Gabby Fish led the offense hitting .239 with a team-best 16 kills and eight digs. Madison Brooks finished the night with 11 kills, and Khori Dryden had 13 kills. Mikayla Christiansen worked through early match struggles and ended the night with 12 kills and 13 digs for a double-double, while posting six total blocks, including one solo. Sarah Bennett had six block assists in the win, and Sydney Schaffer had 16 digs in the back row. Emma Hirchak set a career-high 18 digs in the win, and Emerson Evans had a season-high 29 assists on the night. Sami Luttel finished with 19 assists for Marian.
Marian will look to add on to their win as their home stand continues on Saturday, with the Knights hosting Taylor at 1:00 p.m. in the PE Center.
MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.
