Second-Set Rally Powers Trojans Past Foresters in Defensive Showcase

UPLAND, Ind. – A late rally to stun Huntington (11-3, 2-2 CL) in the second set gave No. 22 Taylor the momentum to secure a four-set victory over its Crossroads League foe inside Odle Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans' defense was strong yet again, racking up 15 blocks behind eight blocks by sophomore middle Daya Vestal. The back row delivered a combined 95 digs, led by 24 from libero, McKaylah Flagle. Three more TU athletes delivered double-digit digs, as Ellie Frey, 20, Mackenzie Gerig, 17, and Margo Hernandez, 16, each had terrific games.

Taylor fell behind early in the first set and could not find its swing as the Foresters raced to a 16-9 lead. The Trojans cut the deficit to three before an overturn out call swung the game back in Huntington's favor and they cruised to a 25-19 set one win.

Coach Erin Luthy made a decisive move between the first and second set as Mackenzie Rogers and Ruth Anderson earned the nod to start set two. The duo combined for nine kills and a hitting percentage of .200 throughout the rest of the match and added six blocks in an impressive display off the bench.

A trio of attacking errors put TU in an early hole in the second set, which grew to a 7-2 deficit. A 4-0 run highlighted by a block from Vestal and Rogers gave Taylor new life briefly, but Huntington responded with four consecutive points after a timeout.

Taylor knotted the score at 16 but fell behind again as the serve receive struggled. Huntington was poised to take a 2-0 lead with the score 24-20 but five errors on the Huntington offense opened the door as TU stormed back for a 26-24 set win to even the sets at one apiece.

A back-and-forth battle in the third to try and gain the advantage was hotly contested until the end. Trailing by a point late TU rattled off three straight points capped by a kill by Vestal to take a 19-17 lead.

After trading points again, Taylor used a timeout leading 21-20 and Frey delivered two of her game-high 20 kills before HU took a point. Shaye Watson and Ava Kraft notched kills to close out the set and leave TU on top 2-1.

Another tight battle ensued in the fourth as each squad's defense stepped up with attacking errors provided a plethora of points. The Trojans led by three at 18-15 before a 4-0 run swung the momentum towards Huntington for the first time in the set.

Vestal sparked a decisive 6-1 run to end the game, as Frey notched another pair of kills and a match-clinching block alongside Anderson to win the set 25-21 and take home the match inf our sets.

Taylor (12-4, 3-1 CL) is set to continue CL play on the road against No. 23 Spring Arbor (14-2, 2-2 CL) on Wednesday, September 17, with the match set to start at 7:00 pm.