Five-Set Victory Over Columbia International Highlights Marian's Saturday Sweep

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Marian volleyball team closed their second week of the season on a high note, starting their final day in the Michiana Mayhem Tournament with a thrilling 3-2 win over Columbia International, before closing out the day with a sweep of IU-South Bend. Marian's 5-0 week improves the team's overall mark to 8-1 on the season. 

#22 Marian 3-2 (RV) Columbia International
Marian's first match came in a rematch from their 2024 NAIA Opening Round, as they took on (RV) Columbia International. Looking to start their day strong, the Knights took control in the first set, leading by as many as six points on multiple occasions, winning the race to 20. Marian took a 23-17 lead, but were unable to close out set one, as a 5-0 run for the Rams brought them back into the game, with the South Carolina squad eventually rolling to a 26-24 win.

The Knights responded in set two, once again leaving their mark on the game by building an early lead. An Emma Lyons service ace and a Khori Dryden kill pushed Marian to a sizable lead, capturing a quick 13-3 edge. Marian's lead would reach 13 points in the set as Sarah Bennett and Mya Cunningham guided the offense to their largest set lead of the season. The edge would eventually reach 14 points as Sami Luttel recorded a service ace, making the score 22-8 in favor of the Knights. Marian would close out the set after a pair of 3-0 runs by the Rams narrowed the gap on the scoreboard, tying the match with the 25-16 win. 

Columbia International responded in the third set, as the Rams were the first team to take command of the scoreboard. CIU built an 11-4 lead, however, the Knights would not let the game get out of hand, clawing back with points from Chloe Cook and Nicole Wilkinson. The kills made the score a 15-13 margin, and the Knights would later cut the score to one point, with Bennett nailing a kill to make it a 19-18 contest. The two sides would exchange points, but after reaching 19, Marian came up short of scoring, with the Rams ending the set on a 5-0 run to win 25-19.

With their backs against the wall, Marian needed to overcome an early 4-0 run before finding their groove. A 5-0 swing in favor of the Knights pushed the ledger to Marian, as they built a three-point cushion with kills from Bennett and Dryden. Dryden and Cook continued to be the offensive answers for Marian as the Rams started to slice back at the lead. Marian would see their lead fade as Columbia International sat two points away from winning the match, but a strong 4-0 finish led by three Dryden kills forced set five. Marian's final score in the fourth set was a 25-23 victory.

In the final set, Marian once again had to rally back, as they allowed the Rams to claim a 5-1 lead. Bennett sparked Marian with a kill and a solo block, while a Mya Cunningham ace provided the tying point to level the set at five. Columbia International would go back on top 10-8, but Marian stayed determined, getting a push from Nicole Wilkinson, who gave the team a 12-11 lead to cap a 3-0 sprint. The Rams would use a timeout and scored after the break in play to tie the set, but the Knights remained in control, dropping the final three points in the set to close a thrilling 15-12 win in the fifth set.

Marian's win is their first five-set win of the season, avenging a loss in five sets from the previous week to IU-Kokomo. Dryden had a career effort in the win, logging an unofficial 18 kills and 19 digs. Chloe Cook had 13 kills unofficially, and Sarah Bennett had 10 kills and three solo blocks. Emma Lyons had 20 digs, and Lexa Zimmerman made 13 digs and two service aces. Sami Luttel paced the setters with 23 assists, while Mya Cunningham had 21. 

#22 Marian 3-0 IU-South Bend
The Knights closed their weekend with a convincing sweep of the host IU-South Bend, beginning the match with a 25-19 victory in set one. Service aces from Emma Lyons sparked Marian's final match of the week, as the senior helped build an early 6-2 lead. The Marian hitters then took over, with kills from Nicole Wilkinson, Evie Dart, and Avery Toole pacing the scoring efforts. The Titans would rally to tie the set at 15, but a 4-0 run sparked by a kill from Dart put Marian back in control. A 5-1 run would close out Marian's win in set one, with Chloe Cook scoring two kills in the sprint.

Marian got even stronger in the second set, as the Knights overpowered the Titans 25-14. After a back-and-forth start to the set, Sami Luttel set up Avery Toole and Evie Dart to get her team in a rhythm, with the setter sparking a 9-1 run. Two Callaway Marsh service aces helped strengthen the run, while another ace after a timeout from Dart helped move Marian's total to 20. Leading 22-14, the Knights strung together a 3-0 run to close out the win, with Toole hammering the final point of the set. 

In the final set, Marian scored early and often, with Lainey Brauman and Ava Tindall capping a quick 3-0 run, while a series of errors from IU-South Bend added to the Knights' tally. Leading 10-6, a kill from Sarah Bennett ignited Marian's push to the sweep, with the senior lighting a 10-1 run. The IU-South Bend hitting errors continued to mount and aid Marian, with the final point of the 25-12 third set win coming on the Titans' 12th attack error of the set. 

Avery Toole led the balanced Marian hitting numbers, posting 10 kills to pair with three digs. Emma Lyons recorded 15 digs and had five assists, while Evie Dart had 11 digs to set a career-high. Sami Luttel had 17 assists, and Callaway Marsh was one of three Knights with two service aces. Danielle Schade had one block assist and five kills in the middle. 

Marian opens Crossroads League play on Wednesday afternoon, hosting Spring Arbor in the PE Center. The September 3 match will begin at 7:00 p.m.

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