The Taylor volleyball team fell to Bethel in three sets on senior day this weekend at Odle Arena, after a dominating performance against Huntington the day before.
Against Bethel, the Trojans went down early in the first set, trailing by as much as 10 points for a moment. Ultimately, the Pilots took advantage of their early lead and held off the Trojans for a 25-16 win.
The second set was much closer, as the Trojans went back and forth with Bethel. Despite leading for much of the set and holding a 17-15 lead, Taylor fell behind 17-20 after three consecutive kills from Bethel and then two attack errors by the Trojan offense. Bethel ended up taking the set 25-19 after a strong finish.
In the final set, Taylor trailed early and never recovered. Three consecutive points brought it within three at 19-16, but Bethel rallied and completed the sweep with a score of 25-18.
Junior Ryan Czerniak ended the day with 10 kills while sophomore Kacy Bragg led the team in digs with 10. Bragg is enjoying a strong campaign, and stands at No. 3 in the NAIA in total assists.
The results the prior evening vs. Huntington were much better.
The sweep over the Forresters was their third of the season. Senior Amanda Adams led the team with 12 kills. Adams’ is No. 3 in the NAIA in kills. Junior Nikki Parrett finished with 12 digs.
All three sets were relatively close, but the Trojans won each by at least four points, and only ever trailed a set when they fell behind 3-4 in the opening set.
On Saturday, the Trojans had a chance to honor their seniors.
Seniors Amanda Adams, Brooke Foster, Ashley Harrell, and Grace Isaacs have all spent their entire collegiate careers at Taylor, contributing to three consecutive winning seasons.
With this result, the Trojans moved to 7-8 on the season, with a 6-7 Crossroads League record. There are five games left in regular season play, but the schedule is shifting often due to COVID-19.
