Bryce Marsee | Echo
Taylor Volleyball kicked off Crossroads League play Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over conference foe Grace, sweeping the Lancers 25-21, 25-20 and 25-19. The Trojans move to 4-5 on the season and 1-0 in conference play with this win.
"I'm proud of the goals we set, and accomplished, for this game," head coach Holly Motheral said. "Overall we played really consistently and it was really encouraging to see the girls start and finish strong on the road."
Senior Ashlyn DeHoogh led a balanced Trojan attack with nine kills and 10 digs. Freshman Kelly Arnold returned from an ankle injury to add seven kills, while junior Jackie Close and senior Montanna Ashline chipped in five apiece. The Trojans also received big performances from junior Kelsey Carr, who had a game-high 21 digs, and sophomore Olivia Griffith, with a game-high 22 assists.
"Kelsey and Olivia stepped up big for us tonight," Motheral said. "I was also impressed with Kelly Arnold. It was her first game back from her ankle injury, so it was really nice to see her come back and contribute."
The Trojans jumped out to an early lead in the first set, opening the game on a 4-0 run. Grace quickly managed to get their offense going, keeping the game close in the opening set. Taylor, however, would go on to lead the entire set due to seven different Trojans recording at least one kill.
Throughout the second set, the two teams remained even. Led by sophomore Mikeala Sir's three kills, the Trojans exploded on a 13-3 run after trailing the Lancers 8-10. After a 4-0 run by Grace, Taylor quickly finished the set following two more kills by Sir and one by DeHoogh.
Taylor finished the match on the third set, but not after another close contest by Grace. Led by DeHoogh, Arnold and Ashline, the Trojans shot out to a 7-3 lead. Grace responded with a 6-2 run of their own, tying the set at 9-9. Taylor would respond with another run and take a 16-12 lead. The Lancers kept the set interesting, pulling within one at 19-18, but Taylor proved too much to handle as they closed the set out on a 6-1 run.
With the loss, Grace fell to 8-1 on the year and 0-1 in conference play. The two teams will meet again on Oct. 10 when Taylor hosts Grace in Odle Arena.
The Taylor win also marked the first career conference victory for new head coach, Holly Motheral. With a new coach and a new direction, Motheral feels the team has responded well to the change.
"We are definitely getting a good vibe from the team," Motheral said. "The girls are working really well as a unit, so it's been really comforting to see that they have each others backs on and off the court. They work hard for one another and there are no selfish players. I feel really confident about this season."
Taylor will be back in action tonight as they make the short trip to Marion to take on conference rival No. 17 Indiana Wesleyan. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
