INDIANAPOLIS - Returning home for the first time in 15 days, the Marian volleyball team played crisply in a Saturday sweep, taking out Goshen in straight sets for its 12th victory of the season. The 3-0 sweep for the Knights moves the team to 4-4 in the Crossroads League and 12-5 overall on the campaign.

Marian put up strong offensive numbers all afternoon, beginning with a strong .405 hitting percentage in set one. Marian had 17 kills in the opening game, led by early spikes from middles Nicole Wilkinson and Sarah Bennett. Chloe Cook and Khori Dryden joined the offensive party and forced Goshen's first timeout, as a 13-12 lead would soon blossom to a 22-14 edge. Bennett finished set one off with a kill, while two more slams from Wilkinson in the closing run completed the Knights' 25-17 set one win.

The Knights continued to be effective in set two, scoring 13 more kills while hitting above .200. Wilkinson's sixth kill of the match sprung an early 5-2 start, with an Emma Lyons service ace fueling the quick start. Marian took advantage of Goshen's errors to win the race to 10 points, eventually pushing the lead to seven behind two more Wilkinson slams. Leading 16-11, a solo block from the senior middle ignited a 6-0 run under Callaway Marsh's serve. The freshman logged a service ace in the run, as Marian coasted to a 25-16 win in set two. 

Leading 2-0, Marian jumped on top of the Maple Leafs quickly in set three, scoring the first three points of the game. Cook, Wilkinson, and Evie Dart scored early for Marian, while Bennett and Lainey Brauman scored late, as the Knights took total control of the final set. Dart ignited a 6-0 run with Marian leading 12-9, turning the advantage into a nine-point margin. A timeout from Goshen momentarily slowed the Knights, but would not stop the team from keeping on the offensive, as the lead soon swelled to double figures. Brauman recorded her first career service ace in the final stretch of the match, helping pace a 3-1 run to end the team's 25-14 victory in set three.

As a team, Marian recorded a hitting percentage of .308, and were led individually by Nicole Wilkinson's season-high 15 kills. Wilkinson hit .667 in the match, and had two block solos and one dig defensively. Emma Lyons led the team in digs with 10, and Khori Dryden recorded an eight-kill, nine-dig match. Sami Luttel paced the setters with 21 assists, and Mya Cunningham had 17 to go with seven digs. 

The Knights finish out the first half of Crossroads League play next Wednesday, traveling to Grace College for a matchup with the Lancers. 

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