On Thursday, October 9th, the Marshall High School volleyball team hosted the four-time reigning LIC champion Newton Eagles in a Little Illini Conference match inside McNary Gymnasium on the campus of Marshall High School. The Lions brought a record of 19-6 into the match, coming off a win at Red Hill on Tuesday night. Newton, which has won or shared the LIC conference crown every year since COVID, came in after having their 13-straight conference match winning streak snapped on Tuesday night by Mount Carmel. The Eagles were looking to bounce back in the win column.
This match was played in front of a big crowd, replete with the Marshall High School pep band and drum line. The Marshall student section showed up with its largest attendance of the season to cheer on this year’s edition, which has been very successful as they look forward to the state tournament. This battle was also played to determine who would remain in first place in the conference race as the LIC title remains in the balance. Both teams found out earlier in the day their seeding assignments in the IHSA Class 2A state tournament later this month. Marshall was awarded a 3-seed in the Clinton sub-sectional (B), while Newton was awarded with a 4-seed in the Benton sub-sectional (A). Pairings, sites, and dates/times will be announced later today.
In the first set of the varsity match, Newton broke out to a 4-2 lead before Marshall outscored the Eagles 8-1 to take a 10-5 lead as Newton called timeout. Harper Richardson scored two kills and a tip winner, while Lilly Ross served an ace. The Lions maintained their 5-point lead when McKenzie Davis scored a kill to make the score 11-6, then Davis and Harper Richardson combined on a block for a point to extend the Lions lead to 6 with the score 14-8. Richardson stepped up to the serving line and promptly served an ace to extend the Marshall lead to 7 points at 15-8.
Kills by Lilly Ross and Ella Mattas helped the Lions move ahead 18-9 as the Marshall crowd was ecstatic. Newton responded by reeling off 5 straight points to close the gap to four points with Marshall still leading 18-14. Addy Ross and Lilly Ross combined on a huge block for a point to give the Lions a little breathing room with the score 20-15 before the Eagles trimmed the Lions lead to three with the score 20-17.
An important rally ended when Harper Richardson and Lilly Ross combined on a block winner, and Marshall once again had a 4-point lead with the score 21-17. Newton would not quit, for the Eagles came back within three before Harper Richardson smashed a kill to give Marshall a 22-18 lead. Richardson and McKenzie Davis combined on a block to score another point for the Lions, who now led 23-18. A kill by Ella Mattas brought the Lions to set point, and on Harper Richardson’s next serve, Newton hit the ball out of bounds, and the Lions came away with the first set by the score of 25-20.
Marshall had a prime opportunity to win the match in straight sets when the Lions battled back from behind to take a 14-12 lead. Ella Mattas, Harper Richardson, Lilly Ross, and Ellie Delp kept the Lions close, then a tip winner by Harper Richardson, a kill by McKenzie Davis, and another kill by Richardson had Newton on their heels and the Marshall student section in a frenzy. Unfortunately for the home fans, the Lions were outscored 13-4 the rest of the way in the set, which was won by Newton 25-18, and suddenly the match was all square at one set apiece.
In the third and deciding set, the same issues that plagued the Lions in the second set came to the forefront again in the final set. With the set tied up at 12 as a result of scintillating play on both sides of the net, Newton outscored Marshall 13-7 to win the third set 25-19, taking the match two sets to one. Scoring for the Lions in the third set were Harper Richardson, Lilly Ross, McKenzie Davis, Anna Daugherty, Ella Mattas, Avery Cornwell, and Ellie Delp.
Addy Ross and Harper Richardson set wonderfully to get the ball in position for strikers on both sides of the court. The back court of Avery Cornwell, Ali Sheets, and Anna Daugherty kept the Lions in many points, and hitters Lilly Ross, Ella Mattas, McKenzie Davis, and Ellie Delp were dialed in. This match will help the team as they move forward in the season knowing they competed with the best the conference has to offer, and if some breaks went their way, the Lions would have come away with a victory. As they enter the final two weeks of the regular season, the goal is to be playing their best volleyball now as they go into state tournament play.
In the junior varsity match, which preceded the varsity contest, the young Lions shook off the cobwebs exhibited in Red Hill and played much better together. In the first set, the teams went to overtime before Newton pulled ahead and won the set 29-27. In the second set, Newton outscored Marshall 25-18 to win the match in straight sets.
Scoring for the junior varsity against Newton were Lilly Ross, Olivia Strohm, Lexi Mason, McKenzie Davis, Ellie Delp, Ali Sheets, Aubree Shaffer, and Lauren Richards.
Marshall (19-7) returns to action next Thursday, October 16th when the Lions travel to Casey to take on the Casey-Westfield High School Warriors in an LIC doubleheader. The junior varsity match begins at 6:00 PM, with the varsity match to follow.
