By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

Playing against the Central Christian Cougars Thursday, Marion needed every bit of their five sets to win the match.

While later sets indicated the teams were close, they lost the first set by 12 points.

“In the first two sets we came out flat,” coach Kris Burkholder said. “We started to play a little bit in that third set.”

The difference was that the team had to stop worrying about losing and just have confidence they could win, she said.

The change did not mean Marion was suddenly overpowering the Cougars, but there was a discernable difference in the distribution of key plays.

Libero Jayden May registered four digs and Laura Savage had four kills the second set, which was comparable to their production each of the three ensuing sets. As a team though, each statistic saw sharp increases from the third set on.

Lily Lundy and Tori Schults joined Laura to lead the way at the net, tallying a number of blocks and kills.

While the primary hitters provided flashy play with their kills, Chisolm Waner was a quiet contributor. She did not have the most presence on the court but she put up solid numbers in every category.

Overall, digs were the most impressive stat for the Warriors, with several players registering at least three digs. The big surprise was Chloe Burkholder, who had several digs despite being a setter.

Even after the increase in contributions, Central Christian kept every set close, providing doubt the Warriors could finish the rally.

The third set was the most in Marion’s favor. They took the lead 10-7 and stayed ahead until the end.

A similar series of events played out in the fourth. After reaching 15 first, the Warriors held the lead. They hit a snag at set point, allowing Central Christian to gain back three points before Marion put it away.

The final set provided the drama. Marion, down 16-20, came back to win 25-23.

After tying the score at 20, Chloe called for double hit. It looked like the Cougars would build momentum on the point, but the Warriors instead retaliated by scoring three points of their own.

The two teams then traded points, arriving at match point with Marion up 24-23. It was a hard-fought point, but the Warriors secured the victory when a receive from Central Christian went into the stands.