Fort Wayne, Ind. - The new era of Marian women's volleyball began with consecutive victories on Friday afternoon, as the Knights' first-year head coach Ryan Bowerman led his team to victories over Cornerstone and Lawrence Tech in the Onset Tournament. The Knights won both matches in four sets, beginning the season with a 2-0 mark.

Marian 3-1 Cornerstone
In their season-opening match, Marian wasted no time grabbing a 1-0 lead over Cornerstone, as the Knights breezed to a 25-16 set one win. Timely blocks and kills from Chloe Cook and Khori Dryden helped grab a quick 9-3 lead, setting the pace in the set. Marian grabbed an eight-point edge as Cornerstone called a timeout trailing 15-7, but the stoppage would do little to slow the Knights, who never let the Golden Eagles within seven points over the final 16 rallies. A Dryden kill and Cornerstone error landed the final two points in the set one win.

Marian would drop the second set by a 25-21 score, but rebounded in the third, grabbing a quick 5-2 lead behind their strong-armed attackers. Sarah Bennett and Ava Tindall scored three early points in combined kills and blocks, while a 6-0 run under Lexa Zimmerman's serve helped secure a seven-point edge. Two aces from the junior in the run helped capture a 15-8 lead, and despite a swing of 4-0 runs from both Cornerstone and Marian, the Knights were able to maintain control and close a 25-18 victory behind a Chloe Cook kill.

The fourth set was the tightest of the match, as Cornerstone challenged Marian by building a quick 4-1 lead. The Golden Eagles stayed in control despite a three-point swing that got Marian into rhythm, as they forced a timeout leading the Knights 15-11. Avery Toole landed a kill out of the stoppage to spark a 3-0 run for Marian, while another 3-0 run fueled by Nicole Wilkinson brought the match to a level 17-17 score. The theme of three-point swings continued to tilt Marian back in the lead, this time using an ace from Mya Cunningham to navigate in front. Cornerstone overtook the 20-18 lead and reached set point at a 24-22 lead, however, it would not be enough to close out Marian. Consecutive attack errors brought the set to a tie, while Cook and Wilkinson nailed the match closed, scoring back-to-back kills to win the set 26-24, and take the match 3-1.

Khori Dryden led the team in kills in the season-opener, scoring 16 while Chloe Cook recorded 12. Sarah Bennett had 10 kills to go with four blocks, while Nicole Wilkinson and Avery Toole each had three total blocks. Lexa Zimmerman paced the servers with five aces, and reigning Libero of the Year Emma Lyons had a match-high 28 digs. Sami Luttel led the setters with 29 assists, recording a double-double as she notched 13 digs. Dryden also finished with a double-double, tallying 10 digs. 

Marian 3-1 Lawrence Tech
In their second match of the day, the Knights took the opening set 25-18, doing so in a come-from-behind fashion as they trailed 11-7 early in set one. A Sarah Bennett kill from Callaway Marsh ignited Marian's response to get back into the set, as they out-paced Lawrence Tech 9-2 to gain a lead. Evie Dart and Chloe Cook proved as early targets of Marsh's passing, with the young hitters collecting kills to gain a hold on the set. Nicole Wilkinson and Ava Tindall combined to block a Maria Trevino attack on the final rally of the set, closing out the seven-point victory.

Marian wasted little time collecting a second set lead, building an early 6-2 advantage under Emma Lyons' serve. The Blue Devils would break up the streak and claw back within two points of Marian, but the Knights never relinquished the lead. Holding a 17-14 edge in the second, a Khori Dryden kill ignited a set-clinching run, as a 4-0 swing pushed the Knights in front by seven. Marsh connected with her hitters for three kills to force set point, while an attack error closed the 25-20 win in set two. 

Lawrence Tech avoided the sweep in the three sets, as they overcame an early Marian lead to steal the game 25-17. Looking to end their second match in four sets, Marian had to fight from the opening rally, falling behind 5-3. After using a timeout to regain composure, Marian slowly began to chip away, getting points from Dart, Cook, and Wilkinson. Back-to-back kills from Khori Dryden sparked a 4-0 run that allowed the Knights to gain their first sizable lead, while an additional 3-0 spurt out of a Lawrence Tech timeout saw the lead grow to four. The Blue Devils remained in the fight as they would rally back to tie the set at 23-23, however, a timely stoppage of play from coach Ryan Bowerman iced the Lawrence Tech rally, with a service error putting Marian at match point. Needing one point to win, the freshman setter Marsh found her junior outside hitter in Dryden, nailing the winning kill to seal a 25-23 victory.

The 3-1 win was led offensively by Dryden, who paced the team with 18 kills. Cook finished with a career-high 14 kills in the win, and recorded her first collegiate double-double with 13 digs. Wilkinson finished the afternoon with a three-block and seven-kill outing, while Emma Lyons led the team in digs with 28. Sami Luttel logged 29 assists in the win, while Marsh recorded 13 assists. 

The Knights will finish their first weekend of the season on Saturday, playing against No. 8 IU-Kokomo and West Virginia Tech. 

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