MARIETTA, Ohio – The #11-ranked Marietta College volleyball team played at a raucous Ban Johnson Arena for the first time in the 2025 season and swept Denison University, 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-15) on Wednesday (Sept. 16) evening. With the victory the Pioneers improve to 9-1 overall and with the loss the Big Red falls to 6-5 overall.  
 
"We won the serve and pass game tonight and that allowed us to run our offense and force Denison out of system," said Marietta head coach Kristy Anderson. "The energy in the BanJo tonight was amazing, we are so thankful for it!"

After both team battled to a 4-4 tie in set one, the Pioneers took three straight points as Karly Launder (Pleasant City, Ohio/Meadowbrook) got the rally going with a kill.  A short time later, Marietta scored four straight as Jillian Fellers (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) scored a kill and Jayden Austermller provided an ace to push the lead to 12-6.  The lead widened as Fellers, McKenzie Heil (Westlake, Ohio/Huron), and AnnaBelle Hacker (Centerville, Ohio/Alter) brought kills and, late in the match, Fellers and Karley Allwood (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) saved a couple of points on a pair of blocks assists.  Heil and Launder finished the power display with a kill apiece to clinch the set for the Pioneers, 25-19.

In set number two, the Pioneers jumped out to a 7-3 lead as Allwood scored a kill and provided another block.  Later in the match, Marietta scored six straight to take full control, mostly off of Big Red attack errors.  Launder, Hacker, and Allwood clinched the set with some powerful kills and Marietta set two, 25-15.

Launder got Marietta rolling in set three, collecting a pair kills on the way to an early 8-3 lead.  Denison fought back and got the score as close as 14-13. The Pioneers stepped up, though, and closed out the match by scoring the final eight points, three from aces from Emory Spitler (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon).   Marietta took the set and the match, 25-15.
 
The Marietta offense was led by Launder with 11 kills and a trio of blocks. Fellers finished with seven kills and five blocks and led the Pioneers with 18 digs.   Allwood led the team with nine blocks. Spitler finished with 28 assists and ten digs.  Keira Shannon (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah Community)  finished with 11 digs.    

Marietta will return to the court Friday (Sept. 19) when they travel to take on Transylvania University in a non-conference bout. The game scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.