Trinity International University

This Week
A big week is on tap for Trinity International volleyball, as four conference matches will help set the stage for the final few weeks of the season, leading up to the CCAC Tournament. The Trojans will first travel to Elgin and take on the Judson Eagles in a Tuesday night matchup, before travelling to Chicago to compete in the first of two CCAC Crossovers, pitting the Trojans against conference teams from the South Division. The match at Judson will be available online though JudsonEagles.com.

Last Time Out
The Trojans will look to get back on the right track after dropping a pair of matches in straight sets last week, at Roosevelt and at Lake Forest (Ill.). The two losses bring Trinity back to .500 on the season overall, and 1-2 in CCAC play.

Against the Lakers, Samantha Stoller and Mickayla Staal led TIU with six kills apiece, but a slow start quickly put the Trojans in a two-set deficit, losing 25-6 and 25-16 to start the match. Looking to stay alive, Trinity put together a four-point rally late in the third set, but Roosevelt was able to close out the game, 25-21. Gabrielle LaMonaca picked up 16 digs on the night.

Stepping outside of conference play, Trinity fell on the road at Lake Forest (Ill.) last Friday night, 25-17, 25-17, 25-15. Stoller and LaMonaca again led the team in kills and digs, with eight and twelve, respectively.

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.

CCAC Leaders
 • As a team, the Trojans are currently averaging 1.86 service aces per set, ranking 2nd in the CCAC. TIU has dealt out a combined 106 aces on the year, which is the fourth-highest total in the conference.
 • Junior Gabrielle LaMonaca is 2nd in the CCAC in aces, averaging 0.54 per set.
 • LaMonaca is also sixth in the conference in digs, averaging 4.46 per set.
 • Samantha Stoller is one of the top hitters in the league; the senior holds a .251 attack percentage, while her 2.65 kills-per-set average ranks 8th in the CCAC.
 • Junior setter Kali Cramer has the fourth-highest assists average in the league, at 8.68 helpers per set.
 • Julie Gregornik cracked the top-10 in the league in service aces, averaging 0.36 per set after dealing out two at Roosevelt last week.
 • Trinity's performance at the service line has landed the team on a few national leaderboards. As a team, TIU ranks 33rd in the NAIA, averaging 1.86 aces per set. LaMonaca is 24th in the nation in service aces per set (0.54), and 27th in total aces, with 31.

Opponent Preview
Judson
The Eagles are sitting at a game above .500 after their win over Robert Morris on Tuesday. Judson returns a pair of All-CCAC players from last season, in sophomores Grace Smith and Cara Tyrrell. Smith is 2nd in the CCAC with a .300 hitting percentage, while Tyrrell has a conference-high 0.57 aces per set. Judson holds a 5-4 edge over Trinity International since 2007, but the Trojans won a five-set match on the road in their last meeting.

St. Francis
The Saints are one of two teams with a perfect conference record, at 4-0, and are 12-10 overall this season. Junior Megan Mowery was a first team All-CCAC member last season, and is currently ranked 10th in the conference with a .257 hitting percentage. Sophomore Alyssa Bridleman leads the league, hitting .341. The Trojans have won just once in their past ten meetings with St. Francis, as the Saints have claimed the last seven matches over TIU.

Purdue-North Central
The Panthers have struggled this season, with a 2-12 overall record, and a 1-4 mark in league play. Junior hitter Taylor Mullen returns after her All-CCAC campaign last year, and is averaging 2.5 kills per set this season. Juniors Naomi Gray and Cami Webster are both in the CCAC's top ten in digs, averaging 4.17 and 3.67 respectively. Trinity International have won seven of the past eight meetings with PNC, including a four-set non-conference win earlier this year.

Indiana-South Bend
The Titans are 7-6 at this point in the season, with one conference victory in their first four matches. Senior hitter Krystle Troyer earned first-team All-CCAC honors last year, and is currently 5th in the league with an average of 4.86 digs per set. Freshman setter Ali Ritchie is collecting 6.88 assists per set, the 8th-best average in the conference. Saturday marks just the third meeting between the Trojans and Titans, with the series tied at 1-1. 

Freshman Impact
A number of first-year players have made a big difference for Trinity International this season. Redshirt freshman Marissa Boelter has appeared in all 57 sets so far in 2014, and ranks second on the team in digs (2.61 dps), and fourth in kills (1.61 kps). Mickayla Staal and Lexie Voss have also helped the Trojan attack, averaging 2.00 and 1.66 kills per set, respectively, for the second- and third-highest averages on the team. Both players have seen action in 56 of 57 sets this year.