Article and photos by T Ray Henry
On Monday, October 19th, the Marshall High School volleyball team traveled to Tuscola High School to play a non-conference doubleheader against the Warriors. Marshall came into the contest with a record of 19-8, while Tuscola came in with a record of 11-19.
With this match sandwiched between Senior Night when the Lions defeated cross-county foe Casey-Westfield and their upcoming conference match at Lawrenceville this Thursday, one could surmise that this match versus Tuscola meant little, with postseason seedings and schedules already established. The win over Casey-Westfield’s Warriors brought the Lions to 19 wins on the season, so a win over Tuscola’s Warriors would give Marshall 20 wins on the season. With the Lions finishing last year with a record of 22-8, back-to-back 20-win seasons had never happened in Marshall High School volleyball history according to available IHSA records, so this year’s squad had an incentive to win this match and become part of Marshall High School history.
After a tough first set ended with Marshall coming away with a 25-23 win, the Lions poured it on in the second set to win 25-17, taking the match in straight sets to improve their record to 20-8, marking the first time in school history the Lions have won 20 matches in back-to-back seasons. In the junior varsity match, Marshall took a while to get going before finally prevailing in three sets 18-25, 25-17, and 15-12 to complete the sweep.
After holding a brief early lead in the opening set of the varsity match, Marshall trailed Tuscola by as many as six points (16-10 and 17-11) before mounting a comeback to tie the set at 20. Scoring for the Lions along the way were Harper Richardson (3 kills, an ace, and a tip winner), Lilly Ross (3 kills), Libby Huisinga (kill), McKenzie Davis (tip winner), Lauren English (ace), and Ellie Delp (2 aces and a tip winner).
With the score tied up at 20, Ellie Delp served a crucial ace to give the Lions a 21-20 lead. Marshall extended its lead to 23-20 before Tuscola scored a point to get within two (23-21). A big kill by Marshall’s Lilly Ross then pushed the Lions ahead 24-21 before Tuscola scored two straight points to make it 24-23 in favor of Marshall. Another kill by Lilly Ross finally ended the first set with Marshall winning by the score of 25-23.
In the second set of the varsity match, McKenzie Davis hit a winner, then Lilly Ross struck a kill to give the Lions an early 2-0 lead. Tuscola tied it up at 2, leading to four more ties as the teams battled back and forth before Tuscola went ahead 9-7. During this stretch, Harper Richardson, Lilly Ross, and Lauren English each scored a kill for Marshall.
With the Lions trailing by two (9-7), Ali Sheets served an ace to begin a 6-0 run for Marshall to make the score 13-9 in favor of the Lions. Harper Richardson scored on a tip before Lauren English scored on back-to-back kills, then Ali Sheets served another ace to flip the momentum.
Marshall kept the foot on the gas over the next phase of the set, outscoring Tuscola 6-3 to take a 19-12 lead. An ace by Lilly Ross, a tip winner by Lauren English, a tip winner by McKenzie Davis, a kill by Lilly Ross, and an ace served by McKenzie Davis highlighted the Marshall run.
From that point on, Marshall and Tuscola essentially traded points to the finish as the Lions came away with a 25-17 win in the second set to win the match in straight sets over Tuscola. Scoring for Marshall to the end were Lilly Ross with a kill and a block, McKenzie Davis with a block, and Harper Richardson with a kill.
Lions Statistical Leaders
Aces - Delp 3, Sheets 2
Assists - Richardson 13, Ross 12
Blocks - Davis 1, Ross 1
Digs - Sheets 8, English 6, Richardson 5
Kills - Richardson 10, Ross 8, English 4
In the opening set of the junior varsity match, Tuscola led wire to wire as the Lions stayed close through the early and middle stages of the set, but with the score 16-15 Tuscola after Marshall’s Lauren Richards served an ace, a 9-3 Tuscola run closed out the opening set, making the final score 25-18. Scoring for Marshall in the first set of the JV match were Aubrie Ockerman (tip winner), Aubree Shaffer (kill), Breck Bishop (kill, ace), Olivia Strohm (2 blocks), Lauren Richards (2 aces), and Allie Thompson (block).
In the second set of the JV match, two aces served by Lauren Richards helped propel Marshall out to a 4-0 lead. With the Lions ahead by one (6-5), Olivia Strohm scored on a winner before she served back-to-back aces to give Marshall a 9-5 lead. Over the middle portion of the set, Marshall outscored Tuscola by the same 9-5 score to lead 18-10. Breck Bishop and Aubree Shaffer combined on a block for a point before Lauren Richards scored a kill. Breck Bishop then scored a kill and served an ace before Lauren Richards and Olivia Strohm combined on a block for a point during the run.
Down the stretch in the second set, Olivia Strohm scored a kill before Breck Bishop scored on a tip and Allie Thompson served an ace. Bishop scored on another tip before Aubree Shaffer also scored on a tip. Breck Bishop then closed it out with her third tip winner of the set to make the score 25-17, sending the match to a third and deciding set.
An ace served by Lauren Richards opened the third set of the JV match to give Marshall an early lead. Allie Thompson scored a kill early, and after Tuscola went ahead 6-5, Thompson’s ace brought Marshall level with Tuscola at 6 apiece. The Tuscola lead turned out to be the Warriors’ only lead of the set.
With the score later tied up at 9, Aubree Shaffer served an ace before Lauren Richards and Breck Bishop combined on a block to give the Lions an 11-9 lead as Tuscola called a time out. The Lions stayed out in front the rest of the way, and highlighted by a tip winner from Aubrie Ockerman, Marshall won the third set 15-13 to win the match two sets to one.
Marshall’s varsity team (20-8) returns to action Thursday night when the Lions travel to Lawrenceville for the final match of the regular season. The junior varsity match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM, with the varsity contest to follow. The Junior Varsity squad has a match with St. John’s Lutheran tonight in Mattoon beginning at 6:00 PM.
Lauren English dives and keeps the ball in play against Tuscola
Ellie Delp (10) hits the ball through the Tuscola block during Marshall's straight set win
Lilly Ross smashes a kill against Tuscola during Marshall's sweep
Ali Sheets gets the dig for Marshall against Tuscola
Harper Richardson crushes the ball and strikes a laser to score a kill for Marshall against Tuscola
