HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison volleyball used a full-team effort to grind out a 3-2 victory at Marshall on Thursday night.

After leading the match 2-0 (25-18, 25-20), the Dukes dropped sets three (27-29) and four (19-25) to the Thundering Herd. After a tight opening to the decisive fifth set, JMU used a quick 4-1 spurt to go ahead 7-4 on Marshall. While the Herd was able to pull within one twice down the stretch, the Dukes settled in and used a 5-2 run to close the set and take the decisive match point (15-12).

The Dukes have won eight consecutive matches, including a 5-0 start to Sun Belt Conference action, to move to 10-5 on the season. The Thundering Herd, now 3-2 in SBC play, is 10–6 on the year.

For the first time since 2024 non-conference play, three Dukes notched double-doubles in a single match. Kennedy Louisell had a season-high 34 kills with a season-best 19 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Grace Wenrich posted a season-high 32 assists with a career-high 19 digs for her first double-double of the season while Sydney Lewis had a season-best 10 assists with 19 digs for her first double-double as a Duke.

Overall, five Dukes had at least 7.0 kills on the evening. Of the 12 Dukes who played, 10 tallied at least 1.0 point in the victory.

JMU remains in West Virginia for the second face-off against Marshall. The Dukes and Thundering Herd have first serve on Friday, Oct. 9, at 3 p.m.

Set One – JMU 25, Marshall 18
• JMU took the early lead, opening play with a 4-1 run.
• The Dukes kept the Thundering Herd at least two points away and stretched out their lead to six (15-9) off a 3-0 scoring run heading into the media timeout.
• Marshall reached double figures with the first score out of the timeout, sparking a 3-0 run to pull back within three (15-12).
• The Thundering Herd called their first timeout when JMU took a 20-14 advantage off a 3-0 spurt.
• JMU never trailed in the set and only sat tied with Marshall at 1-1.
• The Dukes hit .302 (18-5-43) while limiting the Thundering Herd to .129 (8-4-31).

Set Two – JMU 25, Marshall 20
• JMU once again took the early lead with the first two points of the set. Marshall tied the match at 2-2 before the Dukes regained the lead, which they maintained until the Herd used a 3-0 scoring run to even things at 8-all.
• The Dukes put together a 4-0 run and jumped out to a 13-9 advantage, prompting a Marshall timeout.
• Marshall cut into the JMU lead with a 4-0 run of its own to pull back within one at 17-16 as the Dukes and Thundering Herd started exchanging runs.
• Out of a JMU timeout, the Dukes went on a 4-0 scoring run to take the 24-19 lead over Marshall.

Set Three – Marshall 29, JMU 27
• Marshall took its first lead of the day with points on the first four plays of set three, jumping out to a 4-0 lead.
• Up by six (10-4), Marshall was hitting .571 (5-1-7) compared to JMU’s -.125 (1-2-8).
• JMU used a 4-0 run to cut into the Herd’s lead, pulling back within two (12-10) before Marshall burned a timeout.
• The Herd went on a 3-0 run out of the stoppage to take a 15-10 lead heading into the media timeout.
• JMU used a 4-1 spurt to close back within two (19-17), but Marshall responded with a 3-0 run.
• The Dukes pulled within two twice more at 22-20 and 23-21 before a block by Anna Wilson and Ana Toumazatos got JMU the closest they’d been. This was part of a 3-0 JMU scoring run that tied the set at 23-all.
• Marshall took the 24-23 lead but Kennedy Louisell had the answer off an assist from Grace Wenrich to tie it up at 24-24.
• The Herd played for set point four times, but JMU had the answer each time. On the fifth set point, Marshall finally connected to take set three 29-27.

Set Four – Marshall 25, JMU 19
• JMU got the opening point. Marshall tied it at 1-1 before JMU used a 4-1 spurt to go up by three at 5-2.
• Marshall used its own 3-0 scoring run to even the match at 6-6. The Dukes and Thundering Herd started exchanging scoring spurts to keep the set tight.
• The Herd took its first lead of the set at 10-9, part of a 5-0 scoring run to take a 13-9 advantage before a service error got JMU back on the board.
• JMU pulled within one at 17-16, but Marshall responded with a 3-0 run to push the advantage back out to four.
• After the Dukes closed the gap to two, Marshall closed the set on a 5-1 run to tie the match at 2-all.

Set Five – JMU 15, Marshall 12
• Marshall scored the first point before JMU put together a 3-0 run to take the 3-1 advantage.
• The Dukes and Thundering Herd sat tied twice before JMU opened up a 7-4 edge and Marshall took a timeout.
• Marshall scored out of the stoppage, but JMU used it as motivation and pushed out to a 9-5 lead before a service error sparked another spurt by the Herd. Marshall cut into the advantage at 9-7.
• A successful challenge by Marshall stopped JMU’s momentum and then followed up with a tough kill to make it a one-point game (10-9).
• JMU battled hard, staying one step ahead of Marshall to take a 12-10 lead as the Herd called a timeout.
• Sydney Lewis tallied a service ace to put the Dukes up three (13-10).
• The Dukes outscored the Herd 5-2 down the final stretch to secure the 15-12 set five win and 3-2 match victory.

Match Notes
• JMU is on an eight-match win streak. The Dukes have won 24 of their last 28 sets played.
• This is the Dukes’ 10th consecutive win against the Thundering Herd.
• JMU has played in back-to-back five-set matches and three overall this season. The Dukes are 2-2 in 5-set matches this year.
• Kennedy Louisell notched a season-high 34 kills, her second consecutive match above the 30-kill mark. She has double-digit kills in 46 consecutive matches.
• Louisell added a season-best 19 digs for her sixth double-double of the year.
• Grace Wenrich tallied her first double-double of the season with a season-high 32 assists and career-high 19 digs.
• Sydney Lewis earned her first double-double of the season with a season-best 10 assists and adding 19 digs.
• This is the first time three players have had double-doubles since Wenrich partnered up with Jaydyn Clemmer and Rebecca Watkins for a trio of double-doubles on Sept. 15, 2024 in a 3-1 victory over Western Michigan.
• Wenrich’s 32 assists is the most by any Duke in a match this season.
• Louisell made 34 kills, the most by any Duke this season, and 84 total attacking attempts, the most of both her career and any Duke this season in one match.
• JMU finished hitting .229 (74-30-192) as a team, the Dukes’ lowest percentage in an SBC match this season (fourth overall). It’s the first time in 2026 the Dukes have won a match hitting below .230.
• The Dukes tallied 74 kills as a team, the most they’ve notched in a match this season. It is the first time since Oct. 25, 2025 against Georgia Southern (73) they’ve eclipsed the 70-kill mark.
• JMU’s 84 digs as a team is the first time they’ve gone over the 80-dig mark since the last trip to Marshall, when the Dukes had 85 on Oct. 12, 2024.
• Brenna Corbin was credited with the first assist and dig of her career at JMU. This was also the first match where she played more than one set (3).
• Ayen Nhial had 6.0 blocks, the fifth time this season she has been credited with 6.0 or more blocks in a contest.

— JMU Athletics —