Sports
Bluffton And Geneva Down Marietta
< < Back to ?p=13462Following a four-set loss to No. 8 Mount Union, the Marietta volleyball team looked to get back to their winning ways in a doubleheader in Alliance, Ohio, Saturday. The Pioneers dropped matches to Bluffton University and Geneva College (Pa.) and have now lost three consecutive matches for the second time this year.
The Pioneers (9-11) lost their first matchup against Bluffton (8-10) in five sets, 23-18, 18-25, 26-24, 20-25, 13-15, and dropped all three sets against Geneva (13-6), 16-25, 17-25, 19-25.
After taking the first set of the day, the Pioneers struggled to find a rhythm in the second set, providing a match-low -.043 kill percentage while committing six errors. Marietta fell behind 2-12 early and dug a hole that proved to be too difficult to climb out of, allowing Bluffton to tie things up.
The teams would split the next two sets, however Bluffton took the momentum from their fourth-set win straight into the fifth set. The fifth set proved to be the most competitive for both teams, offering five ties and two lead changes. However, Bluffton would prevail.
While the score was knotted at 12, Bluffton managed to capitalize off of a kill by Kendra Parmenter and two attack errors by the Pioneers. The long and tiring five-set loss did not transition well into their second matchup.
This is where Geneva got the best of Marietta.
In their second match, the Pioneers struggled to find an offense, offering a mere 24 kills while committing 19 errors. Marietta failed to grab a lead in the first set and provided a mere five lead changes in the final two.
On the day, junior setter Laura Mauer led the Pioneers with a combined 55 assists while sophomore Mary Ervin had a team-high 40 digs. Keri Horton accumulated a team-high 20 kills in both matches.
The Pioneers will have a week off of games to get some much-needed rest and focus on their miscues in practice. Marietta is back in action Saturday Oct. 5, where it has another doubleheader in the Marietta Tri-Match at Ban Johnson Arena.
The Pioneers’ first match is against Heidelberg University at 12 p.m. followed by a matchup against West Liberty University at 4:30 p.m.
Heidelberg will take on West Liberty in between the Pioneers’ two matches.