Trojans fall to Cardinal Stritch, 3-1
Greg Gorham
Box Score Box Score | Season Stats
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The Trinity International Trojans bounced back from a slow start, led by junior Samantha Stoller who set a new career high with 18 kills, but TIU was unable to keep the momentum, and ultimately fell to the Cardinal Stritch Wolves, 25-12, 25-16, 24-26, 25-17, Tuesday night in Meyer Sports Complex.
Stoller (Cissna Park, Ill./Cissna Park HS) went 18-for-46 with just five attack errors to post a .283 hitting percentage. The junior played a big part in the Trojans' narrow game three victory, picking up five kills in that game alone.
An early rally from the Wolves (10-8, 4-0 CCAC) put the Trojans down 10-4 in the opening stages of the first game. Nine attack errors and a -.125 hitting percentage held TIU back as Cardinal Stritch took a 25-12 opening win.
The Trojans (2-13, 0-5 CCAC) held tough to start game two, but fell behind after a five-point run put the Wolves ahead 10-4, before Rachel Hutchinson's (Atlanta, Ga.) kill stopped the rally. TIU was able to earn the side out and slow any big rallies from CSU, but were unable to go on a big run themselves, ultimately running out of time after a pair of attack errors put the Wolves ahead for good, 25-16.
TIU still battled back in game three, as Brittany Najera's service ace put the Trojans up early, 4-2. Cardinal Strich quickly battled back, in what quickly became the most competitive game of the night, with 11 ties and eight lead changes. Stoller's kill at 19-17 gave Trinity the two-point edge late in the game, but the Wolves ran off four straight points to make it a 21-19 CSU lead. Kills from Julie Gregornik (Darien, Wisc./Faith Christian HS) and Melodee Aguirre (San Diego, Calif./Palomar CC) sandwiched around a point for Stritch inched TIU closer, but it was back-to-back kills from Stoller that ultimately tied the game again, at 24-24. The Trojans didn't let up after Cardinal Stritch called a timeout to try and slow the momentum, as Najera (San Fernando, Calif./First Lutheran HS) gave her team the 25-24 edge, and TIU earned the 26-24 win after a CSU attack error.
Trinity couldn't keep the momentum riding through game four, however, as the Wolves used another early run to build a 8-3 lead. The Trojans answered with a 6-2 run of their own, consisting of a variety of attack errors from Stritch, but could never quite pull even, ultimately falling 25-17.
Setter Allison Boggs (Batavia, Ill./Batavia HS) finished the night with 20 assists, while Kali Cramer (Elgin, Ill./Harvest Christian Academy) picked up 16 of her own.
Gabrielle LaMonaca (Greenwood, Ind./Greenwood HS) led the back row with 18 digs, while Najera and Suzanne Knudtson (Elkhorn, Wisc./Cornerstone University) reached double figures with 16 and 10 digs, respectively.
The Trojans hit the road again this weekend, for the first of two CCAC Crossover Tournaments, the first of which is hosted by Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais, Ill.
