Wilmington, OH - Manchester Volleyball traveled to Wilmington for the 2025 Quaker Classic, bringing home two wins in the process. The Spartans played a total of three games; facing Franklin on Friday, Hiram, and Wilmington on Saturday.
Game One:
Manchester University earned a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Franklin in Wilmington, Ohio, on Friday night, winning by set scores of 21–25, 25–20, 25–20, 24–26, 15–10. The Spartans improved to 2–2 overall and 1–0 in HCAC play behind a balanced offensive effort and clutch fifth-set execution.
After dropping the opening set 21–25, Manchester responded with efficient play in the second, hitting .257 and riding strong serving runs—including three early aces from Morgan Howard—to take control. The Spartans maintained momentum in the third, with Avery Ball leading the way offensively with 18 total kills on .300 hitting and adding five blocks to anchor the defense.
Franklin fought back in a dramatic fourth set, narrowly edging Manchester 26–24 despite a late surge from the Spartans that tied the score at 24. The decisive fifth set saw Manchester come out aggressive, hitting an impressive .400 as Ball and Kyana Martinez converted key swings. Manchester's blocking proved critical, tallying nine total team blocks to slow Franklin's attack.
Howard was instrumental in setting up the offense with 28 assists and chipped in six aces and seven digs. Tiffany Watterson added three assists and 11 digs while stabilizing the serve-receive. Defensively, Manchester recorded 55 digs, led by Ball's 16.
Game Two:
Manchester University pushed Hiram to the limit on Saturday afternoon in Wilmington, Ohio, ultimately falling 3–2 (25–22, 24–26, 25–27, 25–21, 13–15) in a back-and-forth thriller. The Spartans (2–3) showed grit throughout, responding to every Hiram run and forcing the match to a decisive fifth set.
Avery Ball led the Manchester attack with 18 kills and 20 digs, consistently finding ways to score against a tough Hiram defense. Maddi Smith added 10 kills, while Lily Lichtenbarger contributed 11 kills on .300 hitting and a team-high six blocks, anchoring the net presence.
Setters Morgan Howard (32 assists, 14 digs, 4 blocks) and Tiffany Watterson (7 assists, 16 digs) kept the offense balanced, while freshman Adelyn Figley made a big impact with eight kills and two service aces. Manchester's defense collected 75 digs, highlighted by Ball's 20 and Watterson's steady back-row play.
After taking the first set 25–22 behind strong blocking and early aces, Manchester narrowly dropped the next two sets, including a 27–25 third-set heartbreaker. The Spartans responded with a dominant 25–21 fourth set, capitalizing on late kills from Lichtenbarger and Smith.
The decisive fifth set saw Manchester keep pace early, but Hiram's offense made key plays down the stretch to edge out the 15–13 win despite a late Ball kill that kept the Spartans alive.
Despite the loss, Manchester posted 68 kills and 13 total blocks.
Game Three:
Manchester earned a commanding 3–0 sweep (25–17, 25–17, 25–23) over Wilmington (OH) on Saturday evening at Hermann Court, evening their record at 3–3 overall.
The Spartans came out sharp in the opening set, using balanced scoring and strong serving to pull away behind kills from Avery Ball, Adelyn Figley, and Petra Schwartz, closing the set 25–17. In the second, Manchester overcame early miscues with steady play from Mariah Forbes and Morgan Howard, while Shyanne Duncan added efficient swings to help secure another 25–17 win. The third set proved the tightest, with Wilmington briefly taking the lead on Manchester errors, but the Spartans responded late. Figley and Ball delivered key kills down the stretch, sealing the match 25–23.
Statistically, Manchester finished with 35 kills, hitting .165 as a team on 121 attempts. The Spartans also posted 8 aces, 3 blocks, and an impressive 57 digs on defense. Ball led the charge with a team-high 12 kills, 18 digs, and 2 aces, while Figley added 11 kills. Forbes and Howard combined for 24 assists, keeping the attack balanced, and libero support from Haddi Hile and others steadied the back row.
The Spartans look to carry the momentum from the Quaker Classic into the next match this Tuesday on the road against Kalamazoo, 6:30 PM start.
