Louisell’s 34 kills help JMU survive Marshall’s comeback in five sets

James Madison had to win the match twice in a sense: first by building a two-set lead, then by recovering after Marshall erased it. Kennedy Louisell finished with 34 kills and 19 digs as the Dukes won 3–2 Thursday in Huntington, West Virginia, extending their winning streak to eight matches.

JMU took the opening sets 25–18 and 25–20. Marshall answered with a 29–27 third set and a 25–19 fourth, forcing a fifth that the Dukes won 15–12. The result moved JMU to 10–5 overall and 5–0 in Sun Belt play. Marshall fell to 10–6 and 3–2 in the conference.

Louisell’s season-high kill total led a broader contribution: Grace Wenrich produced 32 assists and 19 digs, and Sydney Lewis added 10 assists and 19 digs. All three recorded double-doubles. Five Dukes finished with at least seven kills, and 10 of the 12 players used recorded a point.

The decisive set restores JMU’s edge

Marshall scored first in the fifth, but JMU moved ahead 3–1. The teams were tied twice before the Dukes opened a 7–4 advantage. Marshall later closed within one at 10–9, leaving the visitors with another difficult stretch to finish.

JMU reached 12–10, and Lewis’ service ace gave the Dukes a three-point cushion. They completed the set 15–12, holding off the comeback that had turned what looked like a possible sweep into a deciding-set contest.

The prolonged third set explained how Marshall stayed alive. JMU saved the first four set points before the Herd converted the fifth. Marshall then used a late 5–1 run to finish the fourth and make the fifth necessary.

A busy attack, and another match immediately ahead

JMU finished with 74 kills and 84 digs. The Dukes hit .229 as a team, with 30 attacking errors in 192 attempts. Louisell took 84 of those attempts; the official report identifies that as a career high. Wenrich’s 19 digs were also a career high.

The outcome demonstrates a successful response after losing control of the match’s middle. It also gives JMU something concrete to improve in the rematch: a two-set lead did not prevent Marshall from forcing two additional sets. The winning finish and the difficult path to it both belong in the account.

The teams meet again Friday, October 9, at 3 p.m. Eastern in Huntington. Friday’s rematch gives the teams another opportunity after Thursday’s close finish.