INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian volleyball team went to battle against No. 25 Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Wednesday night, battling the Cougars until the final set, but a rally in the fifth game did not last as the Knights fell 3-2 on their home floor. Marian falls to 7-5 on the year after the five-set defeat, moving to 1-1 in Crossroads League play. 

The Knights pulled out to a lead in the opening set of the evening as a combination of hitters pushed the score to 7-2, but the Cougars came back after the initial shock. Riding a 4-0 run, Mt. Vernon Nazarene took the lead to 10-9, and would gradually build their lead to three points with a 19-16 cushion. Marian slowly rallied back within one point on two occasions with Khori Dryden and Mikayla Christiansen landing kills, however Marian couldn't force a tie, as the Cougars took control once again and began the match with a 1-0 lead thanks to their 25-21 victory.

After falling behind 1-0, Marian left no doubt with the second set, as a Sydney Schaffer service ace was one of six consecutive points that pushed Marian in front 6-1. Nicole Wilkinson and Madison Brooks scored three consective points with a kill each and a block to regain a six-point cushion after the Cougars clawed within three, and after a timeout the lead swelled to nine with Gabby Fish hammering the hardwood. Marian would gain a double-digit lead in the match with a Logan Smith kill helping the cause, with Jaymison Summers putting away the set-winning kill in a 25-14 game.

With the match tied, the intensity turned up in the third set and the game went back and forth early before a 5-0 run for the Knights created an 8-5 lead. The Knights would hold their lead despite a pair of Mt. Vernon charges, and gradually pushed their lead to five with a pair of kills from Fish aiding the cause. Coming out of a timeout leading 16-11, Marian was able to push in front by six with Fish hammering the ball, put the Cougars made one final push, inching within four. A Wilkinson slam would give the Knights a 23-19 lead, but Marian just came up short in finishing the win, allowing a 4-0 run to see the set come tied. Mt. Vernon would score the final seven of nine rallies in the third set as they took the game 27-25, stealing the potential lead from Marian's hands.

Marian continued to fight in the fourth set despite blowing their lead in the third, trading punches with the nationally-ranked Cougars as the game teetered out to a 10-10 score. Marian was able to capture some momentum as they built a three-point edge with a 16-13 score on the board, however the Cougars wiped the lead away and went in front 19-18. Dryden and Fish scored back to back points to give Marian the lead, beginning a trend of back and forth play. Marian would take the first set point with a 25-24 lead, but immediately turned it back to MVNU's serve after a Faith Maloney kill. The set would see six more set point opportunities with Marian having the lead on four of them, with the Knights eventually winning 32-30 on a block from Summers and Brooks.

After exerting their energy to win the fourth, Marian fell flat in the fifth, allowing Mt. Vernon to build a 6-3 lead after starting out to a 3-3 tie. The Cougars took the lead as the team's exchanged sides of the court, using a 6-0 run to put the game out of reach as they led 12-4 when Marian exhausted their final timeout. The Knights would score two more points, but the rally cry was not enough as the Cougars prevailed 15-6 in the fifth set, winning the match 3-2.

Statistically, Marian had a strong night, landing more kills, digs, and assists than their counterparts. Marian finished the night with a .225 hitting percentage, and were led in kills by Gabby Fish, who tied for a match-high with 17 kills. Christiansen finished with a double-double of 16 kills and 23 digs, and Wilkinson had 11 kills and a team-best five blocks. Logan Smith paced the setters with a commanding 32-assist, 26-dig double-double, while Katie Hardegree had 26 assists. Emma Lyons led the Knights with 27 digs in the defeat. 

Marian will go on the road to close their week, traveling to Huntington on Friday and Goshen on Saturday. 

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