Marshall Outlasts Martinsville 2-1 Behind Richardson’s 14 Kills

MARSHALL, Ill. — Harper Richardson hammered 14 kills and served four aces to lead Marshall past visiting Martinsville 2-1 in a non-conference volleyball match Sept. 16, as the Lions improved to 18-8 and handed the Bluestreaks their 10th loss against 15 wins.

The senior outside hitter was the steadiest presence on the floor across the three sets, swinging 31 times — more than any other player in the match — and committing just two errors for a .387 attack percentage. She also chipped in six assists and two digs while leading Marshall with 13 service points.

Richardson had plenty of help from sophomore setter Lillian Ross, who turned in the most complete line of the night. Ross distributed 17 assists, hit .444 with nine kills on 18 swings, added six block assists and six digs, and served two aces of her own. Her work at the net was a major factor in a Marshall blocking effort that finished with 12 block assists to Martinsville’s four. Freshman Libby Huisinga contributed three of those blocks along with two aces.

Serving tilted the match. Marshall put 13 aces on the floor against just eight service errors, with all six Lions servers reaching double-digit percentages of success and Ali Sheets leading the way at 93.3 percent. Martinsville managed five aces and committed six service errors. Sheets also anchored the Lions’ back row, handling a team-high 23 serve receptions and adding five digs.

Martinsville’s offense ran through junior Hope Hammond, who was efficient when she got her swings. Hammond put down eight kills on 15 attempts for a .400 clip, added two block assists, three digs and an ace, and served at 83.3 percent. Senior Trinity Simons gave the Bluestreaks a second reliable option with five kills and a .143 mark, and she was the most dependable server on the roster, going 16-for-17 at the line for 94.1 percent.

Simons also led all players with 10 digs, part of a Martinsville defensive effort that outdug Marshall 50-30 and kept rallies alive through the middle set. Addison Mcdearmon, Molly Kannamacher, Harper Baird and Austyn Davidson each added seven digs, while Baird handled a match-high 32 serve receptions.

The difference came in efficiency. Marshall hit .186 as a team, converting 27 kills on 86 swings with only 11 errors. Martinsville finished with 24 kills but 19 attack errors on 83 attempts for a .060 clip, with sophomore Charity Hammond (four kills) and Davidson (three kills, five errors) unable to find consistent footing against the Lions’ front line. Mcdearmon and Kannamacher split setting duties for the Bluestreaks, combining for 13 assists.

Martinsville pushed Marshall to a third set and took one from the Lions on the road, but the Lions’ service pressure and blocking ultimately closed it out.

Game Summary

Score by Sets

Individual set scores were not included in the available data.

Match Info

Date: Sept. 16

Site: Marshall (IL) — Martinsville away

Type: Non-conference

Individual Statistics

MARTINSVILLE (15-10)

KILLS: Hope Hammond 8 (15 att, 2 E, .400); Trinity Simons 5 (14 att, 3 E, .143); Charity Hammond 4 (13 att, 3 E, .077); Austyn Davidson 3 (13 att, 5 E, -.154); Addison Mcdearmon 2 (11 att, 2 E, .000); Molly Kannamacher 1 (5 att, 1 E, .000); Harper Baird 1 (6 att, 1 E, .000). Team: 24 K, 83 att, 19 E, .060

ASSISTS: Addison Mcdearmon 7; Molly Kannamacher 6. Team: 13

ACES: Molly Kannamacher 2 (8 SA, 2 SE, 75.0%); Harper Baird 2 (13 SA, 0 SE); Hope Hammond 1 (6 SA, 1 SE, 83.3%). Also serving: Trinity Simons (17 SA, 1 SE, 94.1%); Addison Mcdearmon (6 SA); Bella Reed (5 SA, 2 SE, 60.0%). Team: 5 aces, 6 SE

DIGS: Trinity Simons 10; Addison Mcdearmon 7; Molly Kannamacher 7; Harper Baird 7; Austyn Davidson 7; Bella Reed 5; Hope Hammond 3; Ezzy Herrera 3; Charity Hammond 1. Team: 50

BLOCKS: Hope Hammond 2 BA; Charity Hammond 2 BA. Team: 4 total blocks

SERVE RECEIVE: Harper Baird 32 R, 5 RE; Trinity Simons 17 R, 3 RE; Charity Hammond 5 R, 0 RE; Austyn Davidson 4 R, 1 RE; Bella Reed 3 R, 1 RE; Myah Arney 2 R, 1 RE

MARSHALL (18-8)

KILLS: Harper Richardson 14 (31 att, 2 E, .387); Lillian Ross 9 (18 att, 1 E, .444); Mckenzie Davis 3 (19 att, 6 E, -.158); Libby Huisinga 1 (8 att, 1 E, .000); Ellie Delp 0 (10 att, 1 E, -.100). Team: 27 K, 86 att, 11 E, .186

ASSISTS: Lillian Ross 17; Harper Richardson 6; Ali Sheets 1. Team: 24

ACES: Harper Richardson 4 (17 SA, 2 SE, 88.2%, 13 pts); Ellie Delp 2 (9 SA, 1 SE, 88.9%, 5 pts); Ali Sheets 2 (15 SA, 1 SE, 93.3%, 8 pts); Lillian Ross 2 (13 SA, 1 SE, 92.3%, 7 pts); Libby Huisinga 2 (6 SA, 1 SE, 83.3%, 3 pts); Mckenzie Davis 1 (11 SA, 2 SE, 81.8%, 6 pts). Team: 13 aces, 8 SE

DIGS: Lillian Ross 6; Mckenzie Davis 6; Ali Sheets 5; Ellie Delp 3; Nya Engledow 3; Libby Huisinga 3; Lauren English 2; Harper Richardson 2. Team: 30

BLOCKS: Lillian Ross 6 BA; Libby Huisinga 3 BA; Ellie Delp 1 BA; Harper Richardson 1 BA; Mckenzie Davis 1 BA. Team: 12 total blocks

SERVE RECEIVE: Ali Sheets 23 R, 4 RE; Harper Richardson 7 R, 0 RE; Lauren English 6 R, 0 RE; Mckenzie Davis 6 R, 0 RE; Nya Engledow 4 R, 2 RE; Ellie Delp 3 R, 0 RE; Lillian Ross 2 R, 0 RE