Volleyball Preview: Marian Crusaders vs. Omaha Central Eagles
Marian has been away from home for five games now, but on Tuesday they'll finally make their return. They will welcome the Omaha Central Eagles at 6:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Marian is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Omaha Westside, who was ranked fourth in their home state at the time (Marian was ranked 19th). Marian lost 3-0 to Omaha Westside on Thursday. The Crusaders' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
While Marian had to settle for second, they sure made a game of it, scoring at least 18 points in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 25-21, 25-18.
Despite their loss, Marian saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Isabel Campie, who had 11 digs and 18 assists, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Melody Mayer, who had 14 digs.
Meanwhile, Omaha Central came up short against Omaha Westside on Wednesday and fell 2-0.
The match finished with set scores of 25-16, 25-14.
Marian's defeat dropped their record down to 24-12. As for Omaha Central, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 16-16 record this season.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Tuesday's contest: Marian hasn't let much over the net this season, having averaged 6.2 blocks per game. It's a different story for Omaha Central, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1. Given Marian's sizable advantage in that area, Omaha Central will need to find a way to close that gap.
Marian took their victory against Omaha Central when the teams last played back in August by a conclusive 3-0. Will Marian repeat their success, or does Omaha Central have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
