Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
5-2,0-0Sun Belt
Duke
6-1,0-0ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 18 | 18 | 28 | 26 | 1 |
| Duke | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 3 |
Herd Volleyball Falls at Duke
9/11/2026 10:22:00 PM | Volleyball
Barnett led team with 18 kills
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DURHAM, N.C. – The Marshall University Volleyball Team (5-2) fell 3-1 (25-18, 25-18, 26-28, 28-26) on the road to the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina, on Friday night.
"Our passing struggled tonight, which hindered our ability to get our middles in the mix early. Duke is a tough serving team and did a great job of applying pressure from the service line, taking advantage of that early and keeping us out of system," Herd Volleyball Head Coach Heather Stout said. "It took us too long to find our groove, but I'm proud of the way this group continued to fight. Defensively, we battled, and toward the end, we started swinging with more confidence and taking risks. It's crazy to think that we can still finish the match in a positive attacking rhythm after the way we started. It just shows the balance and depth of this team offensively.
Emma Barnett registered a team-high 18 kills with Maddie Smith at 13 and Logan Henderson at 10. Kahea Carvalho picked up 27 assists, Emma Sayre sat at 23 digs and Beatrice Ciccarelli led Marshall with four blocks."Barnett stepped up tremendously tonight on both sides of the ball," Stout said. "It was huge having her contribute at such a high level and take some of the load off our pins. That balance is going to be really important for us moving forward.
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After falling 25-18 in each of the first two sets, the Herd found itself with its back against the wall down 2-0 and also down 20-15 in the third set.
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However, Marshall dug deep and took 10 of the next 14 points to take a 25-24 advantage and have set point in the frame. The Blue Devils eventually fought off a paur of set points, but a Barnett kill and a block assist from Lia Beverly and Ciccarelli saw MU take the third 28-26.
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The Herd held the lead early in the fourth, but the teams were eventually deadlocked at 21. The two sides traded points and leads until Duke took the final two points of the set to take it 28-26 and seal the match.
"There are a lot of good takeaways from tonight that we can feed into tomorrow's match against Belmont. We'll learn from it, make the adjustments, and be ready to come back stronger tomorrow," Stout said.
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UP NEXTÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Marshall closes out its time in Durham on Saturday with a match against Belmont.
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To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall Volleyball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall volleyball team.
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