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ALLIANCE -- The 2026 season came to a close Tuesday as the No. 6-seeded Marietta College volleyball team battled No. 3 seed Mount Union in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Despite a near-set victory in the second frame, the Pioneers fell to the Purple Raiders in straight sets, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-18).
The Purple Raiders seized the early momentum, building a 5-1 advantage before the Pioneers began to settle into the match. Karly Launder recorded her first kill of the evening, and Annabelle Hacker added a pair of kills to help Marietta stay within striking distance. Trailing 11-5, the Pioneers responded with four of the next six points. Emily Piehler delivered a kill, and McKenzie Heil and Karley Allwood combined on a block that trimmed the deficit to 12-9. Another Launder kill later cut the margin to 16-10. Mount Union answered with a decisive run in the middle portion of the set. A service ace and several timely kills extended Mount Union’s lead to 21-10 before Marietta mounted one final rally. Launder brought three late kills, while Hacker and Allwood each contributed points as the Pioneers narrowed the gap to 24-16. Mount Union eventually closed out the opening set, 25-16.
The Pioneers grabbed an early 5-4 lead in set two behind kills from Launder and Hacker and a block from Heil and Allwood. After Mount Union answered, Marietta again regained momentum as Launder powered down another kill and Hacker found the floor for a 7-6 advantage. The teams traded points throughout the middle stages. Piehler and Allwood each recorded kills, while Launder continued to carry the offense. After trailing 12-10, Marietta used a three point run capped by another Launder kill to take a 13-12 lead. Neither side led by more than two points for the next several possessions. Allwood and Heil came up with key kills, and Launder repeatedly terminated rallies to keep the Pioneers even. A kill from Allwood brought Marietta within 22-21 before Launder tied the set at 22-22 with another clutch attack. Facing set point at 24-22, Launder blocked Molly McKee to cut the deficit to one, and moments later Launder buried a kill off an assist from Kamryn Haynes to even the score at 24-24. However, Mount Union answered with back-to-back points, including a McKee kill on match point, to escape with a 26-24 set two victory.
After falling behind 2-0, kills from Allwood, Heil, Launder, Hacker and Piehler helped the Pioneers draw even at 7-7. Elyse Smith then served three consecutive aces as Marietta surged to an 11-7 lead.The Purple Raiders slowly worked their way back into the set, benefiting from a service ace and a few long rallies to eventually tie the score at 12-12. Kamryn Haynes briefly swung momentum back to the Pioneers with consecutive service aces, helping Marietta reclaim a 14-12 lead. The teams exchanged points until Launder’s kill evened the set at 16-16. From that point, Mount Union closed the match on a 9-2 run, fueled by strong play from Zoe Sweigart, Riley Meister and Ava Bolen. Marietta’s final points came on kills from Launder and Piehler, but Mount Union secured the match with a 25-18 set three victory.
Launder led Marietta with a match-high 12 kills and added 12 digs for a double-double. Allwood contributed six kills and a team-best six total blocks, while Hacker finished with five kills. Smith collected 26 assists, three service aces, and 10 digs. Defensively, Keatyn Haynes and Sarah Podkul collected nine digs apiece, and Kamryn Haynes contributed two aces and six digs.
Marietta finishes the season with a 16-11 overall record.