TIGERS SPLIT AT THE FORESTER QUAD

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Huntington University (17-4) defeated Olivet Nazarene University (4-17) in straight sets on Friday to take the Tigers' first match at the Forester Quad. 

Olivet Nazarene opened the first set with momentum, as Analiese Fredin served an ace to secure the initial point. Sabrina Sanif contributed significantly with multiple kills, supported by assists from Fredin and Breanna Lamie, which kept the score competitive throughout the set.

Despite the efforts and a series of crucial points by Brynn Nikonchuk and Sanif, Huntington capitalized on key plays and errors to gradually extend their lead. The set concluded with Huntington securing a narrow 25-20 victory, as the Tigers continued to challenge but ultimately fell short in the final exchanges.

In the second set, Huntington gained momentum early, establishing a 6-2 lead with contributions from Leah Carter and Maisyn Robrock. The Tigers responded with kills from Nikonchuk and Naomi Monney-Hori, narrowing the gap to 10-8. However, Huntington capitalized on a series of attack errors and kills, extending their lead to 18-10. Despite efforts from Fredin and Skylar Dorsey, Huntington maintained control and closed the set at 25-12.

In the third set, the Tigers initiated a strong offensive push with a service ace by Jayley Fisher and a series of successful attacks by Sanif and Nikonchuk. The team extended their lead to 13-8 with contributions from Monney-Hori and Emma Edmonds, capitalizing on Huntington's errors. Despite Huntington rallying back to tie the score at 22-22, the Tigers responded with crucial kills from Sanif and Monney-Hori, keeping the set closely contested.

As the set progressed into extra points, the teams traded leads multiple times. The Tigers' Nikonchuk and Monney-Hori provided consistent attacking pressure, but Huntington matched each surge. The set remained tightly contested, with both teams exchanging points until Huntington edged out a 35-33 victory after a closing attack error by the Tigers.

Sanif led the offensive charge with 12 kills on 16 attempts, hitting at a .688 efficiency. Fredin contributed significantly with 12 assists and added seven digs to the team's defensive efforts. Monney-Hori bolstered the defense, collecting 14 digs and finishing with six kills. Nikonchuk added 10 kills from her 26 attempts, tallying 10 points overall for the Tigers.

--ONU—