Article and photos by T Ray Henry
On Monday, October 5th, the Marshall High School volleyball team traveled north on Illinois Route 1 to Westville High School to take on the Lady Tigers in the final installment of a three-match Tiger Trifecta. After defeating Olney and Paris last week, the Lions didn’t have the same effort or result in falling to the 20-4 Westville team in three sets by the scored of 9-25, 25-17, and 16-25 to finish the three-match series with a record of 2-1 while now standing with a season record of 17-7.
In the opening set, the Lions had trouble with the speed and precision of the Westville side, enduring strikes from all areas of the floor. Westville jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and after Harper Richardson scored a kill for Marshall, the Lions were as close as they would be in the set with the score 3-1. Westville built leads of 12-2 and 19-6 before coasting to the win by the score of 25-9. With Lilly Ross, Harper Richardson, and Ellie Delp garnering the only scores for Marshall, the squad was never in the opening set while scoring their fewest points in a set all season.
In the second set of the varsity match, the Lions got their feet under them and competed much better from start to finish. The Lions got out in front this time and led by two or three most of the way until the score was Marshall 14, Westville 11. From that point on, Marshall poured it on and played their best volleyball of the day by outscoring the Lady Tigers 11-6 the rest of the way to take the second set by the score of 25-17 to send the match to a third and deciding set. Unlike the first set when Marshall could not block strikes from the Westville side of the court, Lilly Ross, Libby Huisinga, McKenzie Davis, Harper Richardson, Lauren English, and Ellie Delp stepped up and got blocks at the net. Ali Sheets, Lexi Mason, and Nya Engledow patrolled the back line to get to tips and begin the Lions attack.
In the third set, the same issues which plagued the Lions in the opening set came back as Westville took the set by the score of 25-16 to win the match two sets to one. The Lady Tigers began the set by going up 7-1 and 10-2 before a kill by Marshall’s Ellie Delp made it 10-3. The Lions got within 5 with the score 15-10, but Westville outscored Marshall 10-6 the rest of the way to win the match.
Statistical Leaders...
Aces - Richardson 3, Davis 1, Ross 1
Assists - Richardson 13, Ross 11
Blocks / Block Assists - Ross 5, Davis 3, Huisinga 3, Richardson 1
Digs - Sheets 14, Ross 11, Richardson 7
Kills - Ross 11, Richardson 10
In the junior varsity match, Marshall won the opening set by playing some inspired volleyball. The young Lions got scores from Libby Huisinga, Breck Bishop, Lauren Richards, Lexi Mason, Aubree Shaffer, Aubrie Ockerman, and Olivia Strohm. Midway through the set, Westville trimmed the Lions lead to three points at 17-14 before Marshall hit another gear and outscored the home team 8-3 to win the set 25-17. Unfortunately, the Lady Tigers JV squad won the next two sets to win the match two sets to one.
Marshall has a chance to get back in the win column tonight when they host Red Hill in a non-conference doubleheader with the JV match beginning at 6:00 PM. The varsity match will follow.
Ellie Delp bumps the serve return at Westville
Lexi Mason gets to the smash from the Westville side of the net
Nya Engledow drives the ball over the net against Westville
Libby Huisinga (11) reaches high to save the ball for Marshall against Westville
Lilly Ross sets the ball against Westville
