Trinity International University

CHICAGO STATE COUGAR INVITE (Chicago, Ill.)

TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (6-3) vs. PURDUE-NORTH CENTRAL PANTHERS (1-4)
Friday, September 12 | 12:00 p.m.

TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (6-3) vs. MOUNT MERCY (Iowa) MUSTANGS (3-5)
Friday, September 12 | 5:00 p.m.

TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (6-3) vs. INDIANA-NORTHWEST REDHAWKS (0-8)
Saturday, September 13 | 10:00 a.m.

TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (6-3) at CHICAGO STATE COUGARS (1-6)
Saturday, September 13 | 3:00 p.m.
Jacoby Dickens Center | Chicago, Ill.

Game Notes
 

This Week
Trinity International Volleyball looks to keep the momentum rolling after a strong start to the 2014 campaign. This weekend marks one of the tougher tests of the early season, as the Trojans head to Chicago to compete against NCAA Division I competition at the Chicago State Cougar Invite.

The Trojans open the weekend against a similar foe, as TIU takes on the Purdue-North Central Panthers in a non-conference match. Trinity will then take on Mount Mercy (Iowa) and Indiana-Northwest before facing off against the Chicago State Cougars.

Last Time Out
Following a big weekend where TIU went 3-1 at the Earlham (Ind.) Tourney, the Trojans opened CCAC action with a straight-set win at Robert Morris, 25-19, 25-22, 25-10. Senior hitter Samantha Stoller led the way with 12 kills, with a .400 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman Marissa Boelter collected 10 kills as well. Defensively, Gabrielle LaMonaca collected 13 digs to lead the back line. 

The victory over RMU marks the first win for TIU in the CCAC opener since 2010, when the Trojans knocked off Illinois Tech in a 5-set match.

Head Coach Dan Priest
Entering his first season in 2014, Daniel Priest was announced as the new head coach of the Trinity International volleyball program by the university in February. A 2010 graduate of TIU, Priest comes to Trinity International from Indiana Wesleyan, and after working as an assistant with the Ball State University men's volleyball program.

While at IWU, Priest was part of a coaching staff that helped lead the Wildcats to a combined 102-22 record, including three straight trips to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship, three Crossroads League Tournament titles, and a pair of Crossroads League regular season championships. Priest worked with eight NAIA All-Americans during his three seasons at IWU.

The past two seasons, Priest has been recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In 2012, He was named the AVCA-NAIA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year.  Priest then earned the AVCA-NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2013.

Fast Start
The Trojans are off to their best start in four years, collecting six wins in their first nine matches. In 2010, Trinity also sat at 6-3, with a win in their first conference match. That season, the Trojans finished with 25 wins and in a tie for 4th in the CCAC regular season standings, reaching the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. TIU reached the NCCAA national tournament that season, finishing with a 1-3 record in pool play.

Opponent Preview
Purdue-North Central
The Panthers got off to a tough start this season, going 0-4 in the opening tournament, but rebounded for a win in their CCAC opener over Purdue-Calumet. Junior Taylor Mullen leads the team up front, averaging an even 2.00 kills per set. Naomi Gray had collected an average of 3.47 digs per set along the back line.

Mount Mercy (Iowa)
The Mustangs sit at 3-5 in the early season, but have dropped five of their last six. Mount Mercy claimed a win to open their season at home over Robert Morris, who the Trojans knocked off in straight sets earlier this week. Demi Heiss leads the Mustang attack with 2.77 kills per set, and has reached double figures five times this year. Samantha Meyer has averaged 4.16 digs per set, including a 28-dig performance in a loss to Siena Heights (Mich.) on Aug. 30.

Indiana-Northwest
The Redhawks are looking for their first victory, after getting out to an 0-8 start this season. IU-Northwest have won just three sets over those eight matches, with six straight-set losses. LaChelle Smith is averaging a team-high 1.81 kills per set, with a season-high six kills against Purdue-Calumet. Abby Stultz is pulling out an average of 7.37 digs per set, including a 57-dig performance against Moody Bible (Ill.).

Chicago State
After a five-set win over North Carolina A&T, the Cougars have dropped six straight over the past two weekends. Elli Woinowsky leads the team with 2.60 kills per set, while Julia Menhart has anchored the back line with 3.60 digs per set for the Cougars.

Freshman Impact
Three first-year players have made a big difference for Trinity International this season. Redshirt freshman Marissa Boelter has appeared in all 34 sets so far in 2014, and ranks second on the team in both kills (2.21 kps) and digs (3.35 dps). Mickayla Staal and Lexie Voss have also helped the Trojan attack, averaging 2.03 and 1.64 kills per set, respectively. Both players have seen action in 33 of 34 sets this year.

National Leaders
The Trojans have proven to be one of the best serving teams in the NAIA over the first few weeks of the season. Trinity International ranks 13th nationally as a team, averaging 2.24 service aces per set. TIU has collected 76 total aces through nine matches this year, good for 35th on the national leaderboard.

Individually, Gabrielle LaMonaca has led the way for the Trojans, having dealt out 27 service aces this year, the second-highest total for any player in the NAIA. The junior also ranks 0.79 aces per set, ranking 6th among NAIA leaders.

Trinity International also has looked solid on the defensive side of the ball; the team has averaged 17.18 digs per set as a team, which ranks 34th on the NAIA leaderboard.