NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. — Manchester defeated Transylvania 3-0 on Saturday, winning 25-21, 25-22, 25-20. Manchester finished with 35 kills and 47 digs while holding Transylvania to a .078 hitting percentage.
Manchester used scoring stretches to swing each set, starting with an 8-0 run after falling behind 12-9 in the opener. That run carried Manchester to a 17-12 advantage and included seven straight service points during the same sequence. In the second set, Manchester moved from a 7-6 edge to a 13-6 lead with a 6-0 run, then later broke a 21-21 tie on a Transylvania error and closed the set with a four-point burst. The third set required another response, as Manchester trimmed a 12-5 deficit to 12-10, won seven of eight rallies during the climb back, and later moved in front after trailing 14-13.
Manchester finished with 35 kills to Transylvania's 29 and hit .131 while holding Transylvania to .078. Manchester also had advantages in digs, 47-40, and total blocks, 7-5, while adding five service aces.
Alicia Simmons had 11 kills and 13.0 points, and
Lily Lichtenbarger added nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
Morgan Howard directed the offense with 26 assists and added eight digs and four total blocks.
Manchester erased a 12-9 deficit with an 8-0 run in the first set, moving ahead 17-12 behind
Keira Meierant's serving, a Meierant ace, kills from Lichtenbarger, Simmons and Howard, and a Lichtenbarger-Howard block. Earlier, Manchester opened with the first three points, including kills by Simmons and Lichtenbarger, before Transylvania worked back in front through the middle of the set. After Transylvania trimmed the margin to 17-15, Simmons answered with a kill, and Manchester later added points off a
Delaeni Hixson-Howard block, a
Kyana Martinez kill and two Transylvania attack errors to reach 24-19. Lichtenbarger finished the set with a kill from Howard, giving Manchester a 25-21 win.
In the second set, Manchester overcame a 21-20 deficit, tying it on Lichtenbarger's kill from Howard and winning four of the final five points to take the set, 25-22. Earlier, Manchester created separation from a 7-6 edge, with Hixson's kill followed by five straight service points from
Tiffany Watterson, including an ace and a Martinez kill, to move ahead 13-6. Transylvania worked back into the set and tied it at 18-18, then went in front at 20-19 and 21-20 before Manchester answered. After Lichtenbarger's tying kill, Manchester moved ahead on a Transylvania attack error, added blocks by Lichtenbarger and Simmons on the next two points, and finished the set on Simmons' kill from Watterson.
The third set saw Manchester overcome a 12-5 deficit and finish with a 25-20 win. Lichtenbarger started the comeback with a kill from Howard, and
Aubrey Hreha followed with a service stretch that included two aces and two Simmons kills to pull Manchester within 12-11. After tying the set at 13-13 and again at 15-15, Manchester moved in front on a Howard kill, a Martinez block and Simmons ace for an 18-15 lead. Transylvania got back within one twice, but Manchester answered with kills from Hixson, Martinez and Howard before closing the set on a Howard block, a Howard kill and a Lichtenbarger kill.
Simmons led Manchester with 11 kills and 13 points, adding five digs, one ace and one block. Howard recorded 26 assists, eight digs, five kills and four blocks. Lichtenbarger finished with nine kills on .333 hitting and added two blocks. Watterson collected a team-high 15 digs and added a service ace.
Manchester moves to 6-6 overall and 1-0 in HCAC play.
Up next, Manchester travels to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face Mount St. Joseph University on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m.
