Marshall University Athletics
Saturday, September 27
Huntington, W.Va.
1 PM
Marshall University
8-7,0-2Sun Belt
1
vs
3
Coastal Carolina
9-4,2-0Sun Belt
1
2
3
4
F
Coastal Carolina
21
25
25
25
3
Marshall
25
13
20
17
1
Photo by: Nevaeh Bright
Marshall Volleyball Falls in Weekend Finale to Coastal Carolina
9/27/2025 4:55:00 PM | Volleyball
Barnett registers 13 kills
Box Score (PDF) | Championship Fund
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University volleyball team (8-7, 0-2 SBC) finished its opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play Saturday with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-17) loss to Coastal Carolina (9-4, 2-0 SBC) at the Cam Henderson Center.
"I was proud of the adjustments we made from last night's match into today's, especially from the service line," Herd Volleyball Head Coach Heather Stout said. "Early in the match, we were able to push them out of system, which kept their middle attack out of it. I also thought we played aggressively—even out of system—taking big swings that helped us capture the momentum and ultimately take set one. We made a change to our blocking plan and executed it well early on, but as the match went on, we lost some discipline in that area. In the end, it came down to first-ball contact. Our serve and pass game let us down in crucial moments, making it difficult to get back into an offensive rhythm."
Emma Barnett led the Herd with 13 kills, a .297 hitting percentage, four aces, nine digs and 17 points, providing key offense and serving sparks throughout the match. Beatrice Ciccarelli added 10 kills and three blocks, while Bella Thompson directed the attack with 24 assists and contributed six digs. Emma Sayre anchored the back row with a match-high 17 digs.
"I was especially proud of the team's adaptability in transitioning from a 5-1 to a 6-2. Overall, we saw tremendous play and leadership from Emma Barnett—each week, she continues to grow and elevate her game," Stout said.
Marshall rallied late in the first set, closing the opening frame on a 6-1 run to secure a 25-21 win. Barnett and Elli Barry made key plays in the decisive stretch, with Barnett recording a service ace and Barry notching a solo block.
Coastal Carolina responded by opening with a 6-0 run to start the second set, riding that momentum to a 25-13 win.
The Herd kept pace midway through the third set, with the score tied at 20. However, the Chanticleers scored the final five points to take the set 25-20.
Coastal Carolina pulled away with a critical service run, including three service aces by Emily Fowler, to clinch the match 25-17 in the fourth.
Marshall hit .500 as a team in the first set. Coastal Carolina finished with 11 team blocks and 10 aces.
UP NEXT
Marshall hits the road for its first SBC road matches at Georgia Southern next Friday and Saturday.
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.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University volleyball team (8-7, 0-2 SBC) finished its opening weekend of Sun Belt Conference play Saturday with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-17) loss to Coastal Carolina (9-4, 2-0 SBC) at the Cam Henderson Center.
"I was proud of the adjustments we made from last night's match into today's, especially from the service line," Herd Volleyball Head Coach Heather Stout said. "Early in the match, we were able to push them out of system, which kept their middle attack out of it. I also thought we played aggressively—even out of system—taking big swings that helped us capture the momentum and ultimately take set one. We made a change to our blocking plan and executed it well early on, but as the match went on, we lost some discipline in that area. In the end, it came down to first-ball contact. Our serve and pass game let us down in crucial moments, making it difficult to get back into an offensive rhythm."
Emma Barnett led the Herd with 13 kills, a .297 hitting percentage, four aces, nine digs and 17 points, providing key offense and serving sparks throughout the match. Beatrice Ciccarelli added 10 kills and three blocks, while Bella Thompson directed the attack with 24 assists and contributed six digs. Emma Sayre anchored the back row with a match-high 17 digs.
"I was especially proud of the team's adaptability in transitioning from a 5-1 to a 6-2. Overall, we saw tremendous play and leadership from Emma Barnett—each week, she continues to grow and elevate her game," Stout said.
Marshall rallied late in the first set, closing the opening frame on a 6-1 run to secure a 25-21 win. Barnett and Elli Barry made key plays in the decisive stretch, with Barnett recording a service ace and Barry notching a solo block.
Coastal Carolina responded by opening with a 6-0 run to start the second set, riding that momentum to a 25-13 win.
The Herd kept pace midway through the third set, with the score tied at 20. However, the Chanticleers scored the final five points to take the set 25-20.
Coastal Carolina pulled away with a critical service run, including three service aces by Emily Fowler, to clinch the match 25-17 in the fourth.
Marshall hit .500 as a team in the first set. Coastal Carolina finished with 11 team blocks and 10 aces.
UP NEXT
Marshall hits the road for its first SBC road matches at Georgia Southern next Friday and Saturday.
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
CCU
Marsh
Kills
59
45
Errors
16
19
Attempts
130
137
Hitting %
.331
.190
Points
80.0
58.0
Assists
56
41
Aces
10
7
Blocks
11
6
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
4
Blocks
0
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
5
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
O
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
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