Marion wins three at home quad

The Marion volleyball team and fans celebrate after the Warriors defeated Mound?ridge in three sets Thursday. The come-from-behind victory came on the heels of a two-set loss to the Wildcats earlier in the week.With effort and sheer determination, the Marion volleyball team went 3-0 at its home quad Thursday.

The Warriors opened with a two-set victory over Sacred Heart. Marion never trailed in Set 1 and built to its largest lead at the end, 25-15.

In Set 2, Marion enjoyed a 6-0 start after a Kourtney Hansen kill, then increased the margin to double digits at 13-3. Marion led 19-5 after a Sam Davies kill, and despite a Knight comeback, the Warriors won, 25-17.

Following a considerable break, Marion faced South?east of Saline and gained a two-set victory, countering the Trojan attack with solid digs and strong blocking.

Coach Brady Hudson said the Warriors? success was a matter of reading the defense and responding accordingly.

?We were just smart,? he said.

The teams remained close in Set 1. At 19-19, a burst of six unanswered points ignited by a Shelby Felvus tip-kill gave Marion the 25-19 victory.

Set 2 was another back-and-forth battle. After a 10-10 tie, Marion built a 21-15 lead. The Trojans twice drew within one point, the last at 23-22, but the Warriors maintained their poise and won, 25-22.

?It was funny because the whole delay of game, I think that helped us,? Hudson said. ?That was in our favor tonight because we had the opportunity to sit on our side of the court, watch them. We knew (Erica Montgomery) was a good hitter. She?s just a phenomenal player to watch, but we knew we had to shut her down.?

The evening ended with a come-from-behind, three-set victory over a Moundridge team the Warriors lost to earlier in the week.

The Warriors struggled with consistent passing in Set 1 and trailed, 20-9. But a Davies kill ignited a 15-3 Warrior burst aided by timely kills by Felvus and Julia Hall as well as ace serves by Kourtney Hansen and Davies that gave Marion a 24-23 lead after a Hall kill. From there, Marion won, 25-23.

?Like I?ve said all season, they have a fight and a need to win, that when they really focus and they really want it bad enough, they can,? Hud?son said. ?They can do things like come back from (trailing) 9-20.?

In Set 2, the Warriors again trailed early, leading only once, 12-11, after a Kirsten Hansen ace serve. The teams traded scores, and Kourtney Hansen tied it at 14 with a kill. But the Wildcats gained separation and won the set, 25-19.

Marion led, 3-1, early, but the Wildcats tied the game and held the advantage the majority of Set 3. Trailing 16-10, Marion closed the gap with back-to-back kills by Davies and Kourtney Hansen and a Hall ace serve, 16-14.

Still, the Wildcats kept a slight lead until Marion tied the game at 22. From there, a Kirsten Hansen ace serve and two Wildcat errors gave Marion the victory, 25-22.

?Moundridge is a solid, solid team,? Hudson said. ?I told the girls in the very beginning it?s going to be very hard to find a hole that they can?t cover. We had to be a hitting team tonight.?

Marion?The Warriors hosted Moundridge and Sedgwick Tuesday.

Marion opened with a two-set loss to Moundridge (25-14, 25-21).

?That fire and desire wasn?t there,? coach Brady Hudson said. ?They knew how good Moundridge was. We?ve heard through the grapevine that they?re a really solid team. We just weren?t prepared for it.?

The Warriors bounced back to defeat Sedgwick (25-16, 25-17). The victory came on the heels of Marion?s three-set semifinal victory over the Cardinals at the Marion Spikefest the previous Saturday.

?That was like, ?OK we beat them in Spikefest, let?s make sure that they know it?s not a fluke and shut them down,? and we did,? Hudson said. ?We just played smart that game.?

Coming?Marion (16-3)?was scheduled to compete at Inman Tuesday and will participate in the Belle Plaine tournament Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m.

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