Huntington Volleyball Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader, Moves to 4-0 

Huntington, Ind.- The HU volleyball team delivered another dominant performance on day two of the Forester Invitational, sweeping both Wilberforce (OH) and #RV Rio Grande in straight sets to remain unbeaten on the season at 4-0.  

Huntington set the tone early in the morning matchup against Wilberforce, showcasing a balanced offense and suffocating serve pressure en route to a convincing sweep (25-18, 25-5, 25-16). 

The Foresters hit an efficient .349 as a team, led by Maisyn Robrock who posted 9 kills and 2 blocks, while setter Kennedy Urban dished out 18 assists and landed a game-high 4 service aces. Leah Carter added 7 kills on a blazing .583 hitting while Haley Kruse contributed 7 kills and 2 aces. 

Defensively, Huntington held Wilberforce to just a .059 hitting percentage, forcing 26 attack errors. The second set was particularly lopsided, as Huntington cruised to a 25-5 win, their largest margin of the day. 

In the afternoon contest, the Foresters faced a tougher challenge against previously undefeated Rio Grande (3-1), but still maintained their poise to earn another sweep. Entering the contest, Rio Grande was receiving votes in the preseason NAIA poll.  

After edging out a tight first set, Huntington turned up the intensity in the second with a 25-11 rout, holding the Red Storm to a -.053 hitting percentage. 

Kruse was the star of the match with 8 kills, 3 service aces and 2 block assists for a match-high 12.5 points. Robrock continued her strong day with 9 more kills, while Maggie Hollon and Carter chipped in 8 and 6 kills respectively. Urban added 17 more assists, and libero Layla Meyer anchored the defense with 17 digs. 

Rio Grande struggled to find rhythm offensively, hitting just .081 for the match. Taylor Bartrum led the team with 10 kills but committed 7 errors. 

"I was transparent with our team that Rio Grande would be the strongest team we'd see this weekend", said Forester coach Kelsey Herber. I love the way my girls rose to the occasion with intensity, encouragement of one another, and a genuine love for the game. I thought our defensive fueled our offense, and I appreciate the scoring threat that each of our attackers were. This is a great start, and we are eager to continue growing each step of the way!" 

Huntington ends the day with a perfect 4-0 record, having only dropped a single set across four matches. With strong contributions from veterans and newcomers alike, and depth across all positions, the Foresters appear poised for a strong season. They'll look to continue their hot start next week as non-conference play continues.  

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.