Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Huntington University women's volleyball team (3-2) earned a split at the Aquinas Tri-Match on Wednesday evening. The Foresters defeated the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene University 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 26-24) in their first match of the day, before dropping the second match to #RV Aquinas College in three (25-23, 25-17, 25-22).
Up 11-10 in the opening set, the Foresters rattled off five straight points to take control. The Tigers (0-2) did not go down without a fight as they took the second set and led by as many as four midway through the third set. A kill by Maisyn Robrock gave HU the lead at 14-13, a lead they would not relinquish. The fourth set was a back and forth affair throughout with six ties and four lead changes before HU secured the 26-24 set win.
Trevyn Terry and Leah Carter controlled the middle of the net with 10 and 12 kills respectively. Kortney Grimm led the Forester attack with 13 kills and a .333 kill percentage. Lauren Ross dished out 46 assists and notched six kills.
Defensively, Layla Meyer had 19 digs and Olivia Krahn dug out 15 attempted Tiger kills.
In the opening set of match two of the day, Huntington and Aquinas (2-0) traded blows in a highly contested first set. After eight ties and three lead changes, the Saints took the first set 25-23 before sweeping the Foresters in three.
Maisyn Robrock led the offensive attack for HU with eight kills on 12 attacks to set a career best .667 kill percentage. The Forester defense was unable to control the powerful Aquinas offense, notching just two blocks on 115 attack attempts.
"I was proud of the way we finished against Olivet Nazarene today, and I was even more proud of the competitive drive we displayed against a fantastic Aquinas team," said Coach Kelsey Herber. "We stayed aggressive and fought for every point. We are never satisfied with a loss. However, we are motivated to improve. I believe that our second match will catapult us forward into growth."
The Foresters will be back in action next Wednesday when they take on the Siena Heights Saints in Adrian, Michigan at 7:00 p.m.
The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 160 NAIA All-America honors and 567 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.
