Hawks Drop Matches To ETBU And Hendrix

MARSHALL, TEXAS- To open up their tournament at East Texas Baptist University, Huntingdon volleyball(0-4 overall) dropped two games, the first to the ETBU Tigers(3-1 overall) three sets to zero, and the second to the Hendrix Warriors(4-1 overall), 3-1.

How it happened

Game one vs ETBU

Ranked #25 in the nation, the Tigers jumped out to a quick start, defeating Huntingdon in the first set 25-8. Taking advantage of four errors from the Hawks, ETBU earned 15 kills on 25 total attempts to take the set.

Huntingdon battled back in the second set, finding themselves tied with the Tigers 7-7 early on, with Lindsey Holland and Jessi Hilyer leading the way. East Texas Baptist responded with a 6 point swing to distance themselves and take the set 25-14.

To close the set and the match, ETBU claimed a 25-12 third set victory. Sara Cochran and Lindsey Holland pushed Huntingdon to an early lead in the set, but 16 kills from the Tigers proved to be too much, handing Huntingdon the loss.

Hawk Top Performers

• #18 Lindsey Holland- 4 kills, 6 digs
• #12 Ashlen Janowski- 5 kills, 3 digs

Game two vs Hendrix

Looking to respond following their opening-game loss, the Hawks claimed the opening set against Hendrix 25-22. Courtesy of Molly Wilson and Izzy Valldeperas, Huntingdon jumped to a quick 4-1 lead in the opening stages of the set. Hendrix answered with a four-point swing to even the score at five, but Huntingdon regained the lead soon after following a kill from Ashlen Janowski. Once the Hawks reclaimed the lead, they would hold it through 19 points, where Hendrix battled to hold a slight 20-19 lead following another four-point swing. Not backing down, the Hawks opened up a 5-1 run to close the set, with Izzy Valldeperas scoring the final point off a kill to put Huntingdon ahead 1-0.

Not to be outdone, Hendrix responded with a 25-18 second set victory. The Warriors capitalized on a 7 point run early in the set, and combined with a match-high seven Huntingdon errors, the Hawks could not recover, evening the match 2-2.

Building off their momentum generated in the second set, Hendrix claimed the next two sets with equal scores of 25-19 to defeat the Hawks. Midway through the third set, the two teams found themselves in a closely-fought battle, with the Warriors holding a slight 12-11 lead. Huntingdon continued to fight, keeping themselves within a three point deficit as the match wore on, but a late Hendrix push gave them the advantage and ultimately, the set victory.

The fourth set saw much of the same, with the two teams even at 6 at the start of the set. Finding a renewed energy, the Warriors went on a 10-2 run give themselves a 16-8 advantage. Huntingdon battled late, with Jessi Hilyer, Alysa Bias, and Ashlen Janowski each earning kills to bring Huntingdon within three at 22-19, but Hendrix would take the next three points and the match.

Hawk Top Performers

• #21 Izzy Valldeperas- 10 kills, 15 digs, two aces
• #18 Lindsey Holland- 7 kills, 6 digs
• #12 Ashlen Janowski- 8 kills, 9 digs

The Hawks look to bounce back tomorrow, September 7th, where they take on Hardin-Simmons and St. Thomas to conclude play in Marshall.