The Dukes of James Madison likely came into the Cam Henderson Center last weekend expecting an easy win, but Marshall gave them a lot more than they bargained for. 

A struggling team is the easiest trap for a conference-leading foe to fall into, as Marshall has found themselves on the short end of the stick all season. Marshall was able to take the take the Dukes to their limit. 

Friday evening included Marshall taking set one, with a final of 25-23. Trading sets for rounds two and three, Marshall dominated JMU in set three after a rough second set.   

On the brink of an upset, Marshall faltered and let JMU take the advantage as the Dukes took set four, leading to a tiebreaking fifth round. A quick, decisive win by the Dukes broke the hearts of the Marshall faithful in attendance by ruining a big upset and would-be morale booster.

The performance by the underdogs in green and white did not go unnoticed by volleyball head coach Ari Aganus, who said, “Tonight was a great representation of what we see every day in practice.” Sadly, it didn’t add up to a win. 

Statistically speaking, based on Friday’s action, Marshall showcased some season-long stars, such as Brynn Brown racking up 58 assists. This performance was a career-high for the sophomore. High kill totals from three different members of the Herd also boosted the chances of what could’ve been a big win. 

Saturday’s game was also competitive, though JMU took the competition in four sets. Marshall continued their inspirational effort from the previous night, taking the first set. 

JMU showed in the following three sets why the Dukes lead the Sun Belt. Brown and Regan Tinkle put up big numbers in the losing effort. 

Marshall is back on home ground again Thursday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. against Arkansas State.