A tale of two games was told in the Cam Henderson Center this weekend, as Marshall volleyball got swept by Georgia State Thursday night before sweeping GSU Friday afternoon. The Herd bounced back with gusto in the matinee game, but not before being exposed the night before.

Despite keeping all three sets close, Thursday evening’s action was not good for Marshall. The story of the season for this team, when falling short, is a lack of clutch moments. Marshall cannot close out the tight, must-win sets as of now, creating a real problem. As for the bright side of game one, Brynn Brown recorded her eighth double-double of the season, an incredible feat for the sophomore star. Regan Tinkle racked up 16 kills in the losing effort.

Overall, the close-set losses are easily the most demoralizing. In the three-game sweep, Marshall only lost the game by a combined six points. The team lost by two in all three sets. Luckily, it seemed as if the Marshall team of Thursday night didn’t come to play Friday, with the roles reversed and a much better effort in a sweep of the Panthers by the Herd.

Team backbone Macy McElhaney focused more on defense today, opening opportunities for the rest of the squad. This method proved successful as it often does when Marshall decides to spread the workload among more of the roster. Marshall Head Coach Ari Aganus regarded that McElhaney fit the role exceptionally well. “She [McElhaney] was outstanding defensively today.”

Seeing the good and bad traits of this 2022 squad, consistency needs to be a focus moving forward. When Marshall is hot, the team is tough to beat. Getting it there is the actual task at hand. Moving forward, the Herd is back in action down south this Thursday and Friday, facing Troy in a two-game affair. Both games will start at 7 p.m.