INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian volleyball team rebounded from their Friday night loss with a swift sweep of Spring Arbor Saturday afternoon, as the Knights downed the Cougars in three sets. Marian begins the second half of conference play with their eighth CL win of the year, as they improve to 16-2 overall.
Marian wasted little time taking control of the opening set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead to force an early Spring Arbor timeout. Skyler Van Note helped lead the early charge, and teammates Jaymison Summers and Averi Lanman pitched in on offense and defense with kills and blocks. The lead sat at 13-8 in favor of Marian when they went on a run, as Van Note and Madison Brooks helped push the difference to eight. Spring Arbor would only narrow the Knights' lead to seven twice, as Marian over-powered the cougars with Van Note and Summers wreaking havoc on the Cougars back row. The fifth-year senior ended the set with a spike, giving Marian a 25-11 win.
Like the first set, Marian found success early as they embarked on a 5-0 run, kickstarted by an Emma Lyons service ace. Marian's lead would dwindle to three over the next handful of rallies as the Cougars got in a rhythm. Leading 13-11, Van Note and two Sarah Bennett blocks helped rebound Marian to a wider margin, as the Knights surged back in front by six. After Spring Arbor took their final timeout with Marian leading 17-11, the Knights closed at an 8-8 pace, winning the second set 25-19.
For the third consecutive set the Knights pounced out to an early lead, with a Gianna Feld service ace highlighting a 4-0 start. Spring Arbor would chip back within one as Marian committed a trifecta of errors, but got back in system with kills being scored by Bennett and Avery Toole. Marian quickly pushed their lead up to five, with Van Note pushing past double-digit kills. Toole, Summers, and Van Note led the charge as Marian polished off their sweep, winning the match with a 25-22 third set score.
The Knights landed 46 kills and hit .260 as a team in the win, with Van Note's 16 kills leading the Knights offense. The senior also added in eight digs and a team-high six block assists. Summers scored 12 kills in the win for the Knights, and Toole had seven spikes. Bennett had four blocks including a solo, and Gianna Feld posted a team-high 16 digs. Logan Smith led the team with 26 assists, adding nine digs to her totals.
Marian will take on Mount Vernon Nazarene on Wednesday night, as they finish a two-game home stand on October 5 at 7 p.m.
MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.
