No. 21 Marian Downs No. 22 Taylor 3-1

UPLAND, Ind. - The Marian volleyball team snapped a two-game losing skid on Saturday afternoon, earning a top-25 victory over No. 22 Taylor in Odle Arena. Marian won 3-1 on Saturday, improving to 11-4 overall on the season and 3-3 against the Crossroads League.

Marian had their best offensive set of the season to begin Saturday's match, as Marian exploded with a 16-kill effort in the day's opening game. Nicole Wilkinson was an early offensive weapon for the Knights, while Sarah Bennett and Ava Tindall shouldered part of the attack. Wilkinson would finish the first set with four kills, and got help on the attack with kills from Khori Dryden and Chloe Cook, pushing the offense toward a 25-19 victory. 

Rallying off the first set win, Marian exploded in set two, jumping out to a commanding 12-2 lead, as the team fired on all cylinders. Wilkinson's fifth kill of the day sparked the run, while six early Taylor errors gave Marian complete control in the game. Emerson Evans dropped a service ace to push Marian to the 15-point threshold, while a Danielle Schade kill saw the Knights inch closer to a 2-0 lead. Taylor would chip back into the set to make the score respectable, but they were unable to threaten the Knights' hold on the game, as Dryden put away the final point in a 25-17 victory.

Tasting a sweep, the Knights got Taylor's best effort in the third set, as the Trojans started the game on a 7-1 run. Schade and Tindall brought the Knights back from their early deficit as they chipped within three. Chloe Cook's service ace pulled Marian within three points, while a 7-1 run in favor of the visitors saw the score change to an 18-16 Knights edge. Taylor and Marian exchanged 3-0 runs over the next six rallies, and then traded two-point punches that pulled the score to 23-21 in favor of the Knights. Marian was unable to close their potential sweep, as Taylor answered with four consecutive point to steal a 25-23 win. 

Moving to the fourth set, Marian worked quick to establish control, racing out to a 5-0 lead. Marian pushed their edge to seven points at an 11-4 lead, and stayed in control with Chloe Cook and Nicole Wilkinson kills. WIlkinson stayed sharp on the attack as a kill from the senior pushed the Knights' final charge. Dryden recorded a service ace to give Marian a 22-13 lead, while Cook scored two of the final three points with a pair of kills, sealing the road win with a 25-15 victory. 

As a team, the Knights recorded their second-highest hitting percentage of the young Crossroads League season, hitting .234 in the four-set win. Cook led the team with 13 kills, while Dryden and Wilkinson each had 11 kills. Dryden had 12 digs to complete a double-double, while Emma Lyons led the team in digs with 24. Sami Luttel had 22 assists, while Mya Cunningham had a double-double with 21 assists and 12 digs. Sarah Bennett had five kills and three solo blocks in the win. 

The test increases for the Knights as they complete a three-game next Wednesday, traveling to No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan. The matchup in Marion begins at 7:00 p.m.

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