No. 23 SAU Earns Statement Win at No. 16 Marian in League Opener

INDIANAPOLIS – Spring Arbor University delivered a statement win on the road Wednesday night, knocking off No. 16 Marian University 3-1 (25-20, 14-25, 27-25, 25-15) in the Crossroads League opener to stay perfect on the season.

The No. 23 ranked Cougars improved to 13-0 overall and are now 1-0 in conference play. The team's 13 wins are the most victories by any team in the country so far this season.

Spring Arbor set the tone by taking the opening set, but Marian answered in the second to even the match. In the pivotal third frame, SAU showed its resilience erasing a 10-point deficit to stun the Knights, and carried that momentum into the fourth to close out the victory.

Kendall Bollenbacher powered the offense with a match-high 17 kills while adding nine digs. Kelsie Lilly chipped in 10 kills of her own, and setter Camy Wedge orchestrated the attack with 28 assists alongside 10 digs. The defense was anchored by Palmer Fortress with her career-best 21 digs while Julia Mitchell and Keely Hinzman had three blocks apiece.

Spring Arbor returns home to host No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan University (5-3, 1-0 CL) on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 3 p.m.