INDIANAPOLIS - Playing next-player-up in the final two sets, the Marian volleyball team overcame adversity Wednesday night in the regular season finale, ousting Grace College 3-1 in four sets. Marian's win in the final home match of the season improves the overall record on the season to 17-10, while they finish sixth in the Crossroads League with a 9-9 record.

Marian came out flat in set one, forcing head coach Ryan Bowerman to take a quick timeout as his team trailed 7-4. The quick stoppage put a fire into Marian, as they would turn a 10-5 deficit into a lead thanks to a 7-0 run. Two Chloe Cook service aces sparked the scoring spree, while a Nicole Wilkinson block gave Marian the lead for good in the set. The Knights would later go on an 8-0 run with Khori Dryden scoring a pair of kills in the sprint, providing a commanding double-digit lead. A Grace service error would win the game for Marian, as the Knights took set one 25-15.

Grace fought back in set two, keeping the score tight throughout the set. Marian opened on a 6-3 run before the Lancers used a 4-0 run to take the lead, turning the set into a back-and-forth rally festival. The Knights gained a cushion late in the set as they won the race to 15 and used a 3-0 run to grab a 17-14 edge, but the lead wouldn't stick as three unanswered Grace points gave the Lancers a 20-19 lead. Grace pushed the period of the match to set point with a 24-23 lead, but the Knights refused to go down, forcing extra points with a Sarah Bennett kill. Nicole Wilkinson spiked one to give Marian set point, putting the Knights on the right track to take the win. Two set points later, Dryden would land the set-clinching point, notching her ninth kill to give Marian a 28-26 victory.

The Knights would build a quick lead in set three as they pushed in front 10-6, but were unable to close out the game, as their lead slowly dwindled with Grace going on an extended 8-1 run. During the run, Sarah Bennett left the game due to injury, and put the Knights in a bind. A timeout collected Marian and Bennett's replacement Evie Dart immediately landed a kill, helping bring the team back to life, tying the set 16-16. The momentum would not stay with Marian, as the surge from their 3-0 run would transfer to Grace, who finished the set on a 9-3 clip, winning 25-19. 

Set four mirrored set two, as the Knights immediately jumped in front 6-2, getting an emphatic solo block from Dryden to cap the early surge. Marian would win the race to 10 points as Dryden landed another kill, eventually pushing Marian's edge to six points; however, it would not last. Grace answered the Knights' spark with a 3-0 run, turning the 13-7 to a three-point game. The Knights remained in front as they gradually pushed the lead to five, getting a kill from Chloe Cook to hold a 20-15 lead. No lead would be safe in the remainder of the match, as Grace charged back with a 5-1 sprint, inching within a point of Marian. Nicole Wilkinson and Evie Dart pushed the game to set point, however, the Lancers made one last charge, forcing extra points with a 3-0 run.

Now trailing 25-24 following the run, Mya Cunningham turned to Evie Dart, who tied the game at 25-25. Chloe Cook then finished the match with a Marian win, slamming consecutive kills to win the final set 27-25. 

The Knights had several strong performances in the win, as Sami Luttel (22 assists, 11 digs), Khori Dryden (20 kills, 13 digs), and Chloe Cook (21 kills, 10 digs) each recorded a double-double. Cook's 21 kills were a match-high.

Emma Lyons logged a team-best 29 digs in the win, and Mya Cunningham had a team-high 33 assists. Nicole Wilkinson had nine kills and three total blocks, and Evie Dart had four kills in her limited appearance. 

Marian enters the Crossroads League Tournament as the six seed, tying for fifth in the final standings with Spring Arbor. Marian will travel to third-seeded Huntington on Saturday night in the CL Quarterfinal, taking on the Foresters at 7:00 p.m.

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