Photo by Jake McNeill Marshall’s Brooke Andries attacks the ball during Marshall’s match against Mankato West in the Big South Showcase on Saturday in Marshall. The Tigers defeated the Scarlets 3-0.

MARSHALL – The Marshall girls volleyball team defeated the Mankato West Scarlets in three sets Saturday night when they played host to the Big South Showcase. After winning the first set handily, they seemed to only play better as the game progressed.

Caitlyn Christenson was a major factor in the Tigers success. She had a pair of aces and made only one error on 13 serves, but her real value was in her defensive efforts. Head coach Dan Westby said after the game that she’s dependable to put forth quality play every night out, and that her tremendous defensive play is always crucial to the team. She finished the game with a game-high 15 digs.

The first set was never in doubt, as the Tigers sprung out to an early lead and hung on to win 25-16. Still, the team could have played even better, Westby said.

“I felt like it took us a while to find our rhythm,” Westby said. “Once we did, we settled in and took care of business. There’s always things we need to get better at, and after this match tonight, I feel like we need to get into the gym on Monday.”

The main point of improvement the team will work on is their pace of play, Westby said. While they had flashes of speed, he felt that they played too slow often throughout the night.

These flashes of faster pacing showed up more in the second set, which they took 25-10, and even more in the third set, which they won 25-8.

One of the adjustments that was made as the game progressed was getting the ball to Leah Jones more effectively. It seemed like every time she touched the ball, it would hit the ground on the Mankato West side of the net, whether that meant she sent down a hard spike past the front blockers or used a fine touch to perfectly place it in no man’s land. Jones also finished second on the team in digs, with 10.

Marshall (2-0) will continue their home stand on Tuesday, when they welcome the Watertown (South Dakota) Arrows.