Foresters Top Nearby Foe Manchester in Non-Conference Clash

Huntington, Ind. – The Huntington University volleyball team protected its home court Monday night, downing neighbor to the northwest Manchester University in four sets, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-13, at Platt Arena. The Foresters picked up a non-conference victory over the Spartans (6-6), who sit less than 20 miles away from Huntington's campus. 

Senior outside hitter Haley Kruse powered HU with a match-high 20 kills on .294 hitting to go along with 22 points overall. She was joined by Maisyn Robrock (9 kills, 5 blocks) and Maggie Hollon (7 kills, 4 blocks) as part of a balanced Forester attack. Trevyn Terry also made her presence felt with 7 kills and 6 block assists, helping Huntington dominate at the net with 12 team blocks. 

Running the offense, Lauren Ross handed out 25 assists, while Kennedy Urban chipped in 16 assists and 3 service aces. Defensively, Layla Meyer led all players with 17 digs, and Olivia Krahn added 11 more to keep the Spartans in check. 

Huntington came out strong in set one, hitting .275, but after Manchester responded in the second, the Foresters steadied themselves in the third and closed the match with a decisive .300 hitting performance in the fourth. 

"After a slow start, I was proud of how our team fought to finish set three and then dominated in set four," said coach Kelsey Herber. This match prepares us for conference play this week, and we know how important it is to start strong, compete each point, and finish. I only want us to have one gear when we play, and one of intensity." 

With the win, HU improves to 13-4 overall and keeps momentum rolling outside of league play before returning to Crossroads League action Wednesday at Goshen College. 

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 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.