Upland, Ind. - The Marian volleyball team dropped a tightly-contested four-set fight on Friday night, as No. 13 Taylor got the better end of the Knights by a 3-1 score. Marian's loss is their second of the season and second in CL play, as they end the first half of league play with a 7-2 mark while dipping to 15-2 overall.
Offense was on display all night long, as Marian and Taylor battled back and forth throughout each of the sets. In the first set Marian took the first grasp of the lead using a 4-0 run, but the home team slowly whittled away. Marian's 6-2 lead would turn into a 13-12 deficit over time as the Trojan offense found a groove, but a Skyler Van Note kill got Marian back in system to level the score. Grace Hunter and Avery Toole helped keep Marian in the game as the score teetered back and forth, and after back to back Taylor attack errors Marian brought the score even at 20. Taylor would take the next two points, but a 3-0 run fueled by two Van Note kills gave Marian the lead, as they stayed in control and won the set on a Jaymison Summers block by a 26-24 score.
The second set went to Taylor, as they took control early by pouncing out to a 12-3 advantage. Error's plagued Marian's down start to the set, but they slowly found a groove as Madison Brooks heated up on the outside. Brooks and Van Note helped bring Marian back to within seven points at multiple points, while another pair of Brooks kills inched the Knights within five, trailing 21-16. A Taylor service error helped ignite a 3-0 run as Summers added two more blocks to her totals, and three Taylor errors saw Marian draw withing two, but after a timeout the home team regrouped and took the set 25-22.
Marian led early in the third set riding the momentum of their comeback effort, as they grabbed an early 5-2 lead. The Knights pushed their lead to a 9-6 advantage, and after leading 12-10 were unable to keep a hold on the game, with a 5-0 Trojan run pacing the home team. Falling behind 15-12, Marian attempted to chip back as Hunter and Summers landed kills, but they were unable to get within as Taylor maintained their advantage. Marian would claw within two, but camer up short after forcing a timeout as a service error gave the Trojans a 2-1 lead with the 25-22 game.
The fourth set began with runs on both sides, as Marian took a 4-1 lead scoring four straight points, but saw the lead slip right back to Taylor as they went on a 5-0 spree. The score went back and forth after the early surges with Van Note and Brooks going toe to toe with Jaylynn Dunsmore, Grace Ieremia, and Ryan Czerniak. Marian was able to breifly pause the back and forth stretch as a Taylor error and Toole kill gave the visitors a 15-13 edge, but a 4-0 Trojan run put the home side back in front. Marian would use a timeout and would get within one multiple times, continuing to fight. A kill from Toole brought the set score level at 23-23, but a Taylor timeout frove Marian's comeback efforts, as Arlanda Faulkner nailed two kills after the stoppage to close the match with a 25-23 score.
Marian had 57 kills as a team and hit .215 in the match, and were led on offense by Brooks who had 15 kills and four total blocks. Van Note recorded a 14-kill, 21-dig double-double in the loss, while Toole added 11 kills. Summers led the team with five total blocks, and Katie Hardegree had a team-leading 32 assists to pair with her 14 digs.
Marian will kick off the second half of league play on Saturday afternoon, as they take on Spring Arbor at 5 p.m. in the PE Center.
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