Volleyball sweeps Huntington

Caitlin Vukorpa | Echo

The Taylor University volleyball team swept Crossroads League opponent Huntington University Wednesday night, picking up their sixth victory in their last eight matches.

"The key to tonight's success was execution," said head coach Holly Motheral. "We saw the ball, stayed outside of the block and covered with a purpose. Everything we had talked about while practicing before this game we did well tonight."

The Trojans generated a .343 hitting percentage, led by sophomore Micheala Sir, who accumulated a .571 attack percentage with 10 kills in 14 attempts. The domination continued as junior Jackie Close led the squad in kills with 11, while senior Ashlyn DeHoogh added 10 and senior Montanna Ashline seven.

"We played as a team tonight," DeHoogh said. "We wanted to work hard and show that what we have been doing in practice has been focused. We wanted to come out tonight and play our game, not worrying about the other side of the court."

On defense, the Trojans shut the Foresters down with 20 registered blocks. Sophomore Casey Allen led Taylor with five rejections, followed closely by Ashline and Sir, who added four and three, respectively. Junior Kelsey Carr was also in on the action with 13 digs. The defense even forced the Foresters into a -.054 hitting percentage with 19 kills and 24 errors.

"The strongest part of our game right now is our defense," Motheral said. "And tonight we showed that."

Coming off Wednesday's sweep, the Trojans improved their record to 6-6 overall and 3-1 in Crossroads League play with a dominating score of 25-9 in the opening game and 25-15 and 25-16 in the second and third.

"We're having fun together and just enjoying the sport we all love," DeHoogh said. "It's awesome to come out and compete, knowing that the Lord has given us the ability to."