Article and photos by T Ray Henry
On Thursday, September 3rd, the Marshall High School volleyball team hosted Dieterich High School in a non-conference doubleheader inside McNary Gymnasium on the campus of Marshall High School. The Lions came into this early-season contest with a record of 1-1, while the Movin’ Maroons came in with an overall record of 3-3 and a conference record of 1-0 in the National Trail Conference.
Marshall High School’s student section showed up for Western Night in a big way and made their presence known and felt throughout the contest. Part roller coaster ride, part barnstorming chaos, and part birthday celebration at the Texas Roadhouse without the dinner rolls, the students were loud and into the match from start to finish. They propelled the volleyball squad into not giving up in this battle and kept their spirits high. The myriad of emotions – excitement, angst, determination, nail-biting, and finally, exhilaration for Lions fans, were felt on this Thursday evening in Marshall.
Dieterich won an oscillating first set by the score of 25-23 before Marshall turned the tables and evened the match by winning the second set 25-12. In the third and deciding set, from pillar to post and from side to side, Marshall won a thriller set by the score of 26-24 to win the match two sets to one.
In the opening set, Marshall reversed their slow start in Teutopolis by getting a tip winner from Lily Shotts and an ace served by Harper Richardson to lead 2-0. A tip winner by Richardson and an ace served by Ali Sheets kept the Lions in the lead before Dieterich tied it up at 6 apiece. Lilly Ross scored a kill to move the Lions ahead to begin a barrage of alternating points. Aces served by Lauren English and Libby Huisinga, followed by scores by McKenzie Davis, Harper Richardson, Lauren English, Lilly Ross, and Libby Huisinga gave Marshall a 22-19 lead as Dieterich called a time out. A Lauren English kill down the stretch scored a point for Marshall, but Dieterich managed to overtake the Lions to win the opening set by the score of 25-23.
The Lions put on an absolute clinic in the second set with inspired play to even the match by dominating the second set by the score of 25-12. Kills by Lilly Ross and Harper Richardson, aces served by Ali Sheets, Lauren English, Libby Huisinga, and Lilly Ross, and block/tip winners by Lilly Ross, Libby Huisinga, McKenzie Davis, and Lauren English paced the Lions’ attack.
In the third and deciding set, the two teams put on a show of fantastic back and forth action throughout as the crowd sat on the edge of their seats. The Movin’ Maroons led by as many as three points in the early going before the Lions tied it up at 13.
The first of two straight kills by Marshall’s Lilly Ross gave the Lions their first lead of the set at 14-13 before Dieterich clawed their way back to tie it at 18. Dieterich went ahead and led 23-20 to put them two points away from winning the match. On the next play, Marshall’s McKenzie Davis scored a kill to begin a 4-0 run by the Lions that ended with a Lilly Ross kill which put the Big Red ahead by one 24-23.
A kill by Dieterich tied it back up at 24 before a huge block winner by Marshall’s Lilly Ross and Lily Shotts swung the momentum back in Marshall’s favor and put the Lions one point away from winning the match with the score 25-24. Up to the serving line stepped Ali Sheets, who put the ball in play. After a back and forth which included a nice combo block by Lilly Ross and Libby Huisinga, Harper Richardson set up Ross for a strike in the middle of the floor, and Ross drilled a kill through the Dieterich defense to give Marshall a 26-24 win to take the match two sets to one.
Statistical Highlights...
Assists: Richardson 21, Ross 10
Kills: Ross 17, Richardson8, Davis 5, English 4
Blocks: Ross 4, English 2, Shotts 1, Huisinga 1, Davis 1
Digs: Sheets 19, Ross 12, Richardson 11, Davis 11, English 10
Marshall (2-1) plays on Saturday, September 5th when the Lions travel to Robinson High School to take part in the Robinson Invitational. Marshall is scheduled to play Oblong at 10:00 AM. They will then play South Knox (IN) at noon and Lawrenceville at 2:00 PM. Depending on the results of pool play, Marshall will play a fourth match against an opponent to be determined either at 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM.
The Lions celebrate their come from behind three-set win over Dieterich
Lilly Ross (2) led the Lions in kills against Dieterich
Harper Richardson (3) strikes through the Dieterich block for a Marshall point
Lily Shotts (7) fires a kill against Dieterich