INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian volleyball team fell on Wednesday night, seeing its two-game winning streak come to a half as Huntington upended the Knights 3-1 in the PE Center. Marian falls to 15-8 on the season and 7-7 overall on the Crossroads League season.

Neither team gained separation in the first set on Wednesday, as Huntington and Marian traded points over the first 16 rallies of the match. Huntington was able to gain the first stretch of breathing room as a two-point swing opened the score to a 10-7 count, but Marian would slash back, getting an Emma Lyons service ace and kills from Khori Dryden and Chloe Cook to bring the difference to one. The Foresters regained control after the score dropped to 14-13, outscoring the Knights 4-2 to push their edge to three. The lead eventually grew to five for Huntington, and despite two kills from Mya Cunningham, Marian was unable to overtake their foe, falling in set one 25-21.

Marian threw the first jab in set two, building a quick 3-1 lead behind Nicole Wilkinson and Sami Luttel. Huntington would draw even, but Marian kept on the offensive, getting blocks from Wilkinson and Cunningham, and kills from Chloe Cook and Avery Toole to stay in the lead. The Foresters would tie the set at 15-15 and eventually took a 21-20 lead, but it would not be enough to derail Marian. The Knights used their final timeout to regroup and got into system behind Avery Toole and Sarah Bennett's kills. The two seniors then forced a block, growing a 23-21 lead while making the Foresters call for a stoppage. Another kill from Bennett after the break would do the Foresters in, as Marian finished the second set on top 25-21.

Riding the momentum of the win into set three, Marian built a quick 3-0 lead to start the ensuing game. Huntington would charge back, going on a 5-1 run to build a 7-5 lead. Avery Toole halted the run, but the Foresters would soon build back their speed, scoring five unanswered to lead 12-7. The Knights slowly whittled away their deficit, scoring in spurts to put pressure on their visitors. A block from Cunningham and Wilkinson ignited the fire, while a 3-0 run capped by a Wilkinson kill leveled the score at 16-16. The game went back and forth for the next dozen rallies, eventually seeing Marian capture a 22-21 lead following a three-point sprint. Huntington called for a timeout and charged right back with a three-point run of their own, forcing set point. Chloe Cook extended the set to make it a 24-23 score, but her kill was not enough to push play to extra points, as Huntington won 25-23.

The third set loss deflated Marian's spirit, as the Foresters ended the match with a wire-to-wire fourth set win. Huntington opened the game on a 7-1 run, forcing a quick Marian timeout. The Knights scored two quick points to start a comeback attempt, but they could not slow down the Forester offense. Leading 10-5, Huntington put the match on ice with a 9-0 run sparked by their Haley Kruse, as the Knight deficit inflated to 14 points. Huntington led 19-5 after the run, and would go on to end the game with a 4-0 run, winning the match with their 25-8 victory in the fourth.

Chloe Cook shined for Marian in the loss, logging 18 kills and a .208 hitting percentage. Nicole Wilkinson finished the match with 12 kills and four block assists, while Sarah Bennett had eight kills and one total block. Sami Luttel recorded 26 assists and nine digs, and Mya Cunningham had 22 assists and two block assists. Emma Lyons recorded a team-high 25 digs. 

With four games to play in the season, Marian's loss drops them into a tie for fifth place in the Crossroads League standings. Marian holds a head-to-head advantage over Bethel in the tie, while trailing Grace by a half game on the tiebreaker. The Knights trail the Taylor Trojans by one game for fourth. 

Marian will end their week hosting No. 20 Taylor on Saturday afternoon. It will be senior day for the Knights, as the four seniors of the team will be recognized before the 4:00 p.m. start time of the match. 

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