Marshall University Athletics
Friday, September 19
Spartanburg, S.C.
11 AM
Marshall University
6-5,0-0Sun Belt
0
vs
3
NAU
9-2,0-0Big Sky
1
2
3
F
Marshall
17
27
17
0
Northern Ariz.
25
29
25
3
Marshall Volleyball Splits Opening Two Matches at Wofford Invitational
9/19/2025 11:15:00 PM | Volleyball
Falls to Northern Arizona, defeats Wofford in five sets
Box Score vs. NAU (PDF) | Box Score vs. Wofford (PDF) | Championship Fund
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Marshall University volleyball (7-5) split its double header at the Wofford Invitational on Friday, falling to Northern Arizona in straight sets (25-17, 29-27, 25-17) before capping the night with a thrilling five-set win over host Wofford (22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 14-25, 15-9).
"That was a battle — every point, every set," Herd Volleyball Head Coach Heather Stout said. "The team showed heart, resilience, and a refusal to back down. We didn't play perfect volleyball, but we played with grit, and that's what pulled us through. Extremely proud of our senior leadership in Bella, Elli and Beatrice. In a five-setter, you need players who lead by example, and those three absolutely delivered. This group is getting better together and not backing down in the adversity, just really proud in what we're building early in this preseason."
NAU 3, Marshall 0
Beatrice Ciccarelli powered the Herd offense in the opener, tallying 12 kills on a .476 hitting percentage and adding a pair of service aces, while Elli Barry contributed 10 kills with just one error. Defensively, Emma Sayre anchored the back row with 13 digs, and Bella Thompson dished out 34 assists.
Northern Arizona captured the first set 25-17. The second set proved to be a back-and-forth frame. The Herd battled through 15 tied scores and six lead changes, but fell 29-27 in extra points.
In the third, Northern Arizona opened on a decisive 6-1 run and never trailed taking the set 25-17.
Marshall finished with a .198 team hitting percentage while Northern Arizona tallied 8 service aces.
Marshall 3, Wofford 2
Emma Barnett led Marshall to a dramatic five-set win in its second match, posting 16 kills and 14 digs. Barry added 13 kills and 2 blocks, while Ciccarelli chipped in with 8 kills and 4 blocks. Thompson orchestrated the attack with 40 assists and 18 digs.
After dropping the first set 25-22, Marshall rebounded to claim the second (25-20) behind a balanced offense. The Herd built on the momentum in the third, closing out a 25-19 win sealed by an ace from Sayre.
Wofford forced a decisive fifth set with a dominant 25-14 effort in the fourth, but Marshall responded with its best run of the night. Barnett and Barry delivered key kills as the Herd surged ahead and pulled away 15-9 in the final frame.
Marshall's offense was distributed among four players with at least eight kills.
UP NEXT
Marshall closes out non-conference action and the Wofford Invitational on Saturday against Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m.
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall volleyball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall volleyball team.
For all the latest information about Marshall volleyball, follow @HerdVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Marshall University volleyball (7-5) split its double header at the Wofford Invitational on Friday, falling to Northern Arizona in straight sets (25-17, 29-27, 25-17) before capping the night with a thrilling five-set win over host Wofford (22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 14-25, 15-9).
"That was a battle — every point, every set," Herd Volleyball Head Coach Heather Stout said. "The team showed heart, resilience, and a refusal to back down. We didn't play perfect volleyball, but we played with grit, and that's what pulled us through. Extremely proud of our senior leadership in Bella, Elli and Beatrice. In a five-setter, you need players who lead by example, and those three absolutely delivered. This group is getting better together and not backing down in the adversity, just really proud in what we're building early in this preseason."
NAU 3, Marshall 0
Beatrice Ciccarelli powered the Herd offense in the opener, tallying 12 kills on a .476 hitting percentage and adding a pair of service aces, while Elli Barry contributed 10 kills with just one error. Defensively, Emma Sayre anchored the back row with 13 digs, and Bella Thompson dished out 34 assists.
Northern Arizona captured the first set 25-17. The second set proved to be a back-and-forth frame. The Herd battled through 15 tied scores and six lead changes, but fell 29-27 in extra points.
In the third, Northern Arizona opened on a decisive 6-1 run and never trailed taking the set 25-17.
Marshall finished with a .198 team hitting percentage while Northern Arizona tallied 8 service aces.
Marshall 3, Wofford 2
Emma Barnett led Marshall to a dramatic five-set win in its second match, posting 16 kills and 14 digs. Barry added 13 kills and 2 blocks, while Ciccarelli chipped in with 8 kills and 4 blocks. Thompson orchestrated the attack with 40 assists and 18 digs.
After dropping the first set 25-22, Marshall rebounded to claim the second (25-20) behind a balanced offense. The Herd built on the momentum in the third, closing out a 25-19 win sealed by an ace from Sayre.
Wofford forced a decisive fifth set with a dominant 25-14 effort in the fourth, but Marshall responded with its best run of the night. Barnett and Barry delivered key kills as the Herd surged ahead and pulled away 15-9 in the final frame.
Marshall's offense was distributed among four players with at least eight kills.
UP NEXT
Marshall closes out non-conference action and the Wofford Invitational on Saturday against Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m.
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall volleyball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall volleyball team.
For all the latest information about Marshall volleyball, follow @HerdVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.
---HerdZone.com---
Team Stats
Marsh
NAU
Kills
43
50
Errors
18
8
Attempts
126
132
Hitting %
.198
.318
Points
47.0
63.0
Assists
40
47
Aces
2
7
Blocks
2
6
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH
/ VolleyballO
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
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