Probst and Hermann Power Newton Past Marshall in Straight-Set Conference Win

NEWTON, Ill. — Senior Claire Probst hammered eight kills on 14 swings and senior Allie Hermann served up 21 points while turning away everything Marshall sent at her, lifting Newton to a 2-0 sweep of the visiting Lions in conference play on Oct. 9.

The Eagles improved to 23-2 with the win. Marshall fell to 18-8.

Newton controlled the match at the net and at the service line, the two places where Marshall could least afford to give ground. Probst was the Eagles’ most efficient attacker by a wide margin, converting eight of her 14 attempts into kills with just one error for a .500 hitting percentage, and she added a team-best three total blocks — two solo — to close the middle. Sophomore Layla Thomann supplied the secondary punch with five kills and matched Hermann for the team lead with eight digs.

The serving disparity told much of the story. Hermann went 25-for-25 from the line with three aces and accounted for 21 of Newton’s service points, a workload that suggests extended runs in both sets and left the Lions scrambling to reset their offense. Junior Maleah Miller added a clean 8-for-8 serving effort with four points. As a team, Newton missed only five serves all match.

Sophomore setter Jossie Stanley distributed 17 assists without a ball-handling error, keeping Probst and Thomann in rhythm and the Marshall block guessing.

Marshall’s offense never found traction. The Lions managed 11 kills against 14 attacking errors across the two sets, finishing with a negative team hitting percentage. Sophomore Lillian Ross led the way with five kills on 10 swings and also contributed two block assists, five digs and a share of the setting duties, handling a team-high 35 balls.

Senior Harper Richardson was the busiest Marshall attacker, taking 25 swings for four kills, and she filled the stat sheet elsewhere with six assists, five digs, two aces and a block assist. Senior Lauren English was a model of efficiency in her limited attacking chances, putting down both of her attempts, and she added two total blocks, five digs and a flawless 17 receptions without an error in serve receive.

Senior Ellie Delp and junior Ali Sheets shared the rest of the passing load — Delp with six clean receptions, Sheets with 13 — but Marshall’s six aces, including two from Richardson, were not enough to offset a Newton attack that hit .255 as a group.

Freshman Libby Huisinga chipped in a block assist and an assist off the bench for the Lions.

Game Summary

Score by Sets

Match Notes

Conference match played at Newton (Ill.)

Marshall: 18-8 overall

Newton: 23-2 overall

Individual Statistics

MARSHALL (0)

KILLS: Lillian Ross 5; Harper Richardson 4; Lauren English 2. Team: 11 kills, 53 attempts, 14 errors (-.057)

ATTACK EFFICIENCY: Lauren English 2-0-2 (1.000); Lillian Ross 5-3-10 (.200); Harper Richardson 4-4-25 (.000)

ASSISTS: Harper Richardson 6; Lillian Ross 2; Libby Huisinga 1

ACES: Harper Richardson 2; Ellie Delp 1; Lauren English 1; Lillian Ross 1; Mckenzie Davis 1. Team: 6

SERVICE POINTS: Ellie Delp 4; Lillian Ross 4; Lauren English 3; Harper Richardson 2; Mckenzie Davis 1

DIGS: Lauren English 5; Harper Richardson 5; Lillian Ross 5; Ellie Delp 3; Ali Sheets 3; Nya Engledow 2; Mckenzie Davis 2

BLOCKS: Lauren English 2 (1 solo, 1 assist); Lillian Ross 2 (2 assists); Harper Richardson 1; Mckenzie Davis 1; Libby Huisinga 1

SERVE RECEIVE: Lauren English 17 (0 errors); Ali Sheets 13 (1); Ellie Delp 6 (0); Lillian Ross 2 (0); Mckenzie Davis 2 (0); Nya Engledow 1 (1)

NEWTON (2)

KILLS: Claire Probst 8; Layla Thomann 5; Stella Schackmann 3; Grace Schumacher 2; Allie Hermann 2; Jossie Stanley 1. Team: 21 kills, 51 attempts, 8 errors (.255)

ATTACK EFFICIENCY: Claire Probst 8-1-14 (.500); Stella Schackmann 3-1-5 (.400); Grace Schumacher 2-1-6 (.167); Allie Hermann 2-1-6 (.167); Layla Thomann 5-3-14 (.143)

ASSISTS: Jossie Stanley 17; Grace Schumacher 2; Layla Thomann 2

ACES: Allie Hermann 3

SERVICE POINTS: Allie Hermann 21 (25-for-25); Maleah Miller 4 (8-for-8); Jossie Stanley 3; Claire Probst 1; Grace Schumacher 1; Layla Thomann 1

DIGS: Layla Thomann 8; Allie Hermann 8; Grace Schumacher 4; Maleah Miller 3; Jossie Stanley 2; Claire Probst 1

BLOCKS: Claire Probst 3 (2 solo, 1 assist); Layla Thomann 1 (assist)

SERVE RECEIVE: Grace Schumacher 6 (0 errors); Layla Thomann 6 (0); Allie Hermann 6 (1); Maleah Miller 4 (1); Claire Probst 3 (0)