MISHAWAKA, Ind. - The Marian volleyball team battled on the road tonight as they completed the season sweep of No. 17 Bethel after a 3-1 victory. The Knights improve to 18-8 on the season and 12-3 in Crossroads League play, moving to third in the CL standings.
Jaymison Summers earned the first points of the game on the assists from
Logan Smith before Bethel was able to gain the 5-2 advantage after a pair of service aces. Marian evened the score after a block from
Averi Lanman, while
Emma Lyons added back-to-back aces to put her team ahead 9-6. The Knights continued to roll, grabbing the 13-8 lead behind a kill from
Mikayla Christiansen on the assist from
Katie Hardegree. The two teams traded points until the Pilots went on a 8-3 run to finish off the Knights, taking the first set 25-19.
Similar to the first set, Bethel jumped out to an early lead as they pulled ahead 12-5 after five consecutive points. After a Marian timeout, the guests responded with three straight of their own to put themselves within four. The set continued to go back and forth, but it was the Pilots holding the 20-15 advantage. A kill from Christiansen ignited the Marian offense again, sparking a 4-0 run to cut the Bethel lead to 20-19 and forcing a timeout. The hosts answered back with a kill after the timeout, but it was Marian closing out the set with a six-point run capped off with three straight kills from Summers coming from Smith to take the set 25-21,
Marian opened the third set with a 5-2 lead as
Khori Dryden notched back-to-back kills and an error by the Pilots. With the two teams trading points, Bethel started to find the momentum to pull in front 15-10 after a 13-5 run. The Knights got back in the point column after a Summers kill, but once again it was the Pilots answering back to take the 18-13 edge. Marian evened the score at 20-20 after Hardegree connected with
Gabby Fish to spark a four-point run. The two teams went back and forth until the score was locked at 22-22, but after three consecutive points the Knights were able to close out the set 25-22 and take the 2-1 lead.
The Knights came out firing to start the fourth set, with
Madison Brooks, Christiansen, and Dryden all tallying a kill to garner teh 6-2 lead. Bethel answered with a run of their own to pull within one at 9-8. Lanman and Christiansen teamed up for a block, before the Pilots were able to score in an attempt to stop the momentum from the Knights. However, kills from Fish, Christiansen, and Summers would not let that happen as they took the 16-10 lead. The Pilots were able to chip away their deficit to two, as the two teams battled it out the rest of the set. Marian took charge at 24-21, but it was Bethel not going away quite yet as they rallied for another match point before ultimately the Knights took set four 26-24 and the match 3-1.
Dryden led way with 15 kills, Christiansen notched 13 kills to go along with three blocks and an ace. Fish and Summers added 10 kills, while Lanman had a team-best four blocks. Lyons finished with game-high 13 digs and three aces, while Smith added 11 digs to go along with her 23 assists, and Hardegree added 18 assists.
The challenge to stay in the Crossroads League race increases for the Knights on Friday night, as Marian will take on No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan on the road at 7 p.m.
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