The Marlington Dukes will face off against the Perry Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Marlington sitting on 14 straight wins and Perry on four.
On Thursday, Marlington made easy work of Alliance and carried off a 3-0 victory.
The 3-0 score doesn't show just how dominant Marlington was: they took every set by at least 11 points. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-14, 25-14, 25-12.
Meanwhile, Perry got the win against Canton Central Catholic on Wednesday by a conclusive 3-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Panthers have posted against the Crusaders since October 8, 2016.
While Perry won a shutout, things came down to the wire in the second set they played. The match finished with set scores of 25-12, 25-23, 25-21.
Perry's victory bumped their record up to 9-6. As for Marlington, their win bumped their record up to 15-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Monday's match: Marlington hasn't let much over the net this season, having averaged 4 blocks per game. It's a different story for Perry, though, as they've been averaging only 1.9 blocks. Given Marlington's sizable advantage in that area, the Panthers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Marlington took their victory against Perry in their previous meeting back in September of 2024 by a conclusive 3-0 score. Do the Dukes have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
