Marshall University’s volleyball team dropped its conference opener Wednesday to Western Kentucky University.
The Hilltoppers (13-2) defeated the Herd in (9-5) in four sets at the Cam Henderson Center.
Despite winning the first set of the game and nearly taking the second, Marshall struggled throughout the rest of the evening.
Head coach Mitch Jacobs said the team’s performance could be attributed to poor passing and serving.
“Pass and serve is the most important thing when you play offense against a team that’s that good defensively,” Jacobs said. “And there was just no pressure put on Western Kentucky after set two.”
Though Marshall had its difficulties in the later sets, Jacobs said his team showed some positives in what seemed to be a dark place for the Herd.

“We mentally stayed in it,” Jacobs said. “We stayed engaged and we stressed Western Kentucky a little bit with what they were doing.”
The Hilltoppers, who are the defending C-USA champions, defeated the Herd in both of the teams’ matches.
The Herd continues conference play Friday against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 6 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center.
Friday’s match will be the Herd’s second of three consecutive home contests, as Marshall hosts Louisiana Tech University Sunday before heading to Florida to face conference-foes Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University.
Ishmael Witten can be contacted at [email protected].