Hawks Come back From Two Sets Down To Defeat MUW

COLUMBUS, Miss.- In their second matchup against the Owls in their 2024 season, Huntingdon volleyball(3-10 overall) came from two sets down to defeat the Mississippi University for Women(2-3 overall) 3-2.

How it happened

In the opening set of the match, the Hawks fell 25-23. Huntingdon jumped out to an early lead, with a kill from Morgan Suggs bringing the score to 9-4, but a late 9-3 surge from the Owls was enough to edge out the set win. 

Opposite of the first set, the second set began with the two teams trading points early and often, with the Hawks falling behind 8-7 early. With the score in favor of MUW 11-9, two back-to-back errors from Huntingdon allowed for MUW to distance themselves, going ahead 13-9 and eventually claiming the set and a 2-0 advantage 25-17.

Not to be outdone, the Hawks stormed back to take the third set by a score of 25-15. Courtesy of kills from Eva Ellenburg and Morgan Suggs, the Hawks were able to claim an early 5-2, giving them the momentum to maintain the lead throughout the duration of the set. Aly Harris and Ashlen Janowski spearheaded a 4 point run to give Huntingdon a 12-5 lead, which Molly Wilson, Sara Cochran, and Eva Ellenburg followed to close the set.

Building off their newly-found energy in the third set, the Hawks were able to claim the fourth set by an identical score of 25-15. Rather than jumping out to an early lead like in the previous set, Huntingdon foun themselves even 9-9 midway through the set. Three consecutive errors from the Owls gave the Hawks a slight 13-12 lead, and they never looked back. Kills by Sara Cochran and Aly Harris sparked a 12-3 outburst, forcing a fifth set to determine a winner.

To take the match, Huntingdon claimed the fifth and final set 15-13. Capitalizing on multiple errors from MUW, the Hawks were able to claim an early lead, but the Owls responded with a 6-2 scoring swing to take the 9-8 advantage. Kills from Aly Harris, Ashlen Janowski, and Morgan Suggs, propeled the Hawks late to take a 14-13 lead, and a final errors from MUW secured the match for the Hawks.

Hawk Top Performers

• #22 Eva Ellenburg- 10 kills, 10 digs, 3 aces
• #9 Aly Harris- 12 kills, 1 dig
• #12 Ashlen Janowski- 10 kills, 5 digs
• #28 Morgan Suggs- 10 kills, 6 digs

The Hawks return to action on September 21st in Roland Arena, facing Oglethorpe and Sewanee in a quad match featuring the Stormy Petrels, the Tigers, and Maryville. The Hawks are scheduled to take the court at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.