Volleyball Falls to No. 20 WKU

Box Score (PDF)
Postgame Press Conference Video: Coach Aganus | Syndey Lostumo

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall volleyball team fought hard, but in the end fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-22) to the 20th-ranked WKU Hilltoppers on Sunday in the Cam Henderson Center. The teams play again on Monday at 1 p.m.

The Thundering Herd fell to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in Conference USA play. The Hilltoppers improve to 10-0 and 5-0 in league action.

"With a team (WKU) that is that fluent and that strong in every position, even though you prep for it and you are ready for it, their execution was just great," Herd head coach Ari Aganus said. "Our offensive execution wasn't where it needs to be in order to pull out a win. I think the things that we did try to prep for, the girls executed very well. So, even though we didn't win there were actually a lot of good moments for us.

"When you play a team like Western, who doesn't have many errors, you have to have less errors in a match. We have to clean it up a little bit."

Redshirt senior Ciara Debell led the Herd with 11 kills, and added 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Debell also tallied her first two service aces of the year. Freshman Anna Calcagno and redshirt freshman Olivia Fogo both recorded six kills. Calcagno had 10 digs and Fogo had four total blocks to tie a career-high.

Senior setter Sydney Lostumo finished with 26 assists, four kills, two aces and six digs. Senior Destiny Leon kept her block streak alive, up to 35-straight, with five total blocks. Junior Macy McElhaney tallied three kills and one block. Junior libero Sarah Schank led the team with 15 digs, including some key diving efforts on some hard attacks from the Hilltoppers. Schank also recorded four assists.

Freshman Riley Winslow earned a start, the first of her career, and finished with two digs, one ace and one assist. Redshirt sophomore Haley Delor tied her career-high with five digs.

Marshall got off to a good start in the first set, taking the first three points. WKU battled back quickly as the set featured five ties and one lead change. The Hilltoppers went up for good at 14-13, however the Herd kept it close until a 5-0 run moved WKU to set point at 24-17. Marshall used a 3-0 run with kills from Fogo and Calcagno and a block from Leon and Fogo, to pull back within four, 24-20. The Hilltoppers then finally ended the set.

The second set was a close battle early, before the 20th-ranked Hilltoppers pulled ahead at 7-6, and gradually increased the lead throughout the period, then grabbed the win to go up 2-0.

In the third set, Marshall jumped out to the early lead on a kill from Debell and then back-to-back aces from Lostumo. WKU rallied and gained the lead at 6-5. However, the Herd did not back down as the teams traded points back and forth until the Hilltoppers went ahead for good at 11-10. Again, Marshall showed its heart trailing by four late in the frame to cut the deficit to two at 22-20 and 24-22. A kill from Paige Briggs ended the set and the match.

For all the latest information about Marshall volleyball, follow @HerdVolleyball on Twitter and Marshall University Volleyball on Facebook.

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Team Stats

Ciara DeBell

Anna Calcagno

Olivia Fogo

Sydney Lostumo

Players Mentioned

Anna Calcagno

Ciara DeBell

Olivia Fogo

Destiny Leon

Sydney Lostumo

Macy McElhaney

Sarah Schank

Riley Winslow

Players Mentioned

Anna Calcagno

Ciara DeBell

Olivia Fogo

Destiny Leon

Sydney Lostumo

Macy McElhaney

Sarah Schank

Riley Winslow

Marshall University Athletics