Memorable Season Ends in Iowa

SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The Huntington University women's volleyball team's unforgettable 2025 journey reached its final chapter on Thursday morning, as the Foresters fell to St. Thomas 25–12, 25–23, 25–17 in their final match of NAIA National Championship pool play. But for a team that has spent the entire season proving that numbers never tell the whole story, this ending is far less about the score and far more about the legacy they leave behind. 

From August to December, this group lived inside a season-long metaphor: Foresters stepping into a deep, imposing forest, chopping down obstacle after obstacle that rose like towering trees. Time and again, they swung with everything they had — in comeback wins, in fifth-set battles, and in moments when belief had to be stronger than circumstance. Their resolve carved a path that no HU team had walked since 1993, guiding them back to the NAIA National Championship for the first time in 32 years and producing the program's most wins since the 2007–08 season. 

"We are disappointed in our two matches in Iowa because we don't believe we played like the team that we've been all season. However, I would never want that to overshadow how deeply proud and grateful this team should be for what they've accomplished this season," said head coach Kelsey Herber. "This group has been special in their competitive drive, confidence, and determination that they've applied since day one of the season. The goal was to get to Iowa and we did it." 

Against St. Thomas, senior outside Maisyn Robrock closed her career with 9 kills on .250 hitting, while junior middle Trevyn Terry added 6 kills and 3 blocks. Setter Lauren Ross contributed 12 assists, an ace, and 7 digs. Libero Layla Meyer anchored the back row with 13 digs as HU made its strongest push in the second set, trading swings deep into the frame against the Bobcats' towering front line. 

And it was in those moments — those stubborn, fearless swings — that the true heart of this team showed itself. Which is why, as the season closes, it feels only natural to look toward the group that helped shape so much of this journey. 

The 2025 senior class didn't just play matches — they transformed the story of Forester volleyball. They set the tone in practice, carried the standard in competition, and built the kind of culture where memories will far outlast scores. Over the past four years, this group combined to appear in more than 620 matches, a staggering measure of their durability, consistency, and daily commitment to the program. 

Their impact lives not only in their leadership, but in the remarkable careers they crafted: 

• Layla Meyer graduates with 2,129 digs, the 3rd-most in program history, solidifying her place among the all-time greats in Huntington's back row. 

• Haley Kruse leaves with 1,225 career kills, one of the most powerful arms HU has seen in the modern era. 

• Olivia Krahn departs with 1,208 digs, bringing a career defined by steadiness, effort, and competitive fire. 

• Leah Carter finishes with 783 kills at a sharp .236 career clip, a model of consistency and reliability in the middle of the net. 

• Maisyn Robrock, whose final match included nine more kills, closes her career with 776 kills, leaving behind a legacy of grit, poise, and big-moment presence. 

"The seniors have helped this program grow for the past four years", added coach Herber. "Their impact as players and people have been a gift. They have helped set a new standard for this program. It's been an honor to be their coach, to know their hearts, and to walk alongside them for these past four years."

As this remarkable senior class steps away, the path they cleared stands ready for the next wave to follow. The future of the program is poised to take its next step, with returning players who have seen the blueprint up close and incoming recruits eager to add their own rings to the tree. The standard has been set—rooted in grit, unity, and Christ—and now it's the new generation's turn to rise, swing, and carry the Forester legacy forward. 

The Foresters finish the season at 25–10, but that number barely captures the heart of their story. Their courage, their togetherness, and their willingness to keep swinging at every towering tree in their path define the 2025 Foresters. And long after the final score fades, the memories this group created—on long bus rides, in heated practice battles, in locker-room laughter, and in the piercing screams from the bench— those memories will last far longer. This team didn't just return Huntington Volleyball to the national spotlight; they reminded everyone what it looks like when Foresters stand tall: bold, united, and unafraid to keep swinging until the forest finally opens. 

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.