This Week   
 • Trinity International are back in action Tuesday night, when they head north to face the Cardinal Stritch Wolves for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.
 • Streaming video and live stats will be produced by Cardinal Stritch, and available at TIUTrojans.com.

Last Time Out    
 • The Trojans opened the season with a straight-set loss at Robert Morris last Thursday, 25-15, 25-18, 25-19.
 • Sophomore Marissa Boelter nearly earned a double-double in the first match of the season, finishing with eight kills and eight digs on the night. Lexie Voss finished with a team-high nine kills in the match, as five Trojans recorded three or more kills against the Eagles.
• In all three sets, the Trojans either held a narrow lead, or were trailing by only a few points, but Robert Morris finished out each set with rallies of 12-2, 6-0, and 8-0 to close out the match.

Head Coach Luke Ward    
 • Luke Ward was announced as the new head coach of the TIU Volleyball program in May, after a successful stint as the assistant coach and junior varsity head coach at Olivet Nazarene.
 • Ward spent the past three seasons helping lead Olivet Nazarene to three straight CCAC Tournament appearances, where the Tigers twice reached the semifinals before making an appearance in the championship match last fall. 
 • During his time at ONU, Ward has been a part of a coaching staff that has developed ten All-CCAC Team award winners, including five All-CCAC First Team honorees, along with 24 CCAC All-Academic Team members. The team also won the CCAC Champions of Character Team Award in 2013.

Stat Leaders    
 • Marrisa Boelter ranks among the national leaders in the early season, averaging 0.67 service aces per set after last week's match at Robert Morris. Boelter sits 23rd on the national leaderboard in the NAIA, and is 2nd in the CCAC.
• Boelter is also among the conference leaders, with an average of 2.67 kills per set, good for 8th in the CCAC.
• Sophomore Lexie Voss is averaging 3.00 kills per set, the 4th-best average in the CCAC to date this season. Her .278 hitting percentage is good for 8th in the conference.
• Junior setter Suzanne Knudtson is 10th in the CCAC, with 6.33 assists per set.

Opponent Preview    
Cardinal Stritch
 • The Wolves come into play this week on a five-match win streak, including a straight-set win over Judson in their CCAC opener on Thursday. Strich swept through the Country Inn & Suites Tournament hosted by Waldorf (Iowa) on Sept. 4-5.
 • Cardinal Stritch qualified for the NAIA Tournament a year ago, after claiming the CCAC Tournament championship over Olivet Nazarene. The Wolves fell in five sets at Indiana Wesleyan in the NAIA Tournament Opening Round match.
 • Stritch returns a pair of NAIA All-American honorable mention winners from last year, in seniors Kendyl Danelski and Tayler Hegg. Danelski currently ranks 6th in the CCAC with 2.83 kills per set, and 5th in hitting percentage, at .295.
 • CSU holds a 9-4 record against the Trojans over the past seven seasons, and have claimed the last seven meetings with Trinity.

Player Notes    
 • Trinity returns eight players from last season, but still consist of a young lineup, as no seniors are on the roster this year. Setter/defensive specialist Suzanne Knudton is the lone junior on the squad.
 • Sophomore Lexie Voss is the Trojans' leading returner in kills, and picked up a team-high nine kills against Robert Morris last week.
 • Marissa Boelter finished third on the team in digs last season and is this year's top returner, with an average of 2.24 digs per set. The sophomore is currently averaging an even 2.67 kills and digs each set in 2015, and is the only Trojan to be over the 2.00-mark in both categories.
 • Knudtson's 27 service aces last year are the most among Trojan returners. The junior also brings back the highest number of assists from last season, having averaged 3.07 assists per set. As the primary setter this season, Knudtson has an average of 6.33 assists per set.

Up Next    
 • Trinity International makes their home debut next Tuesday night, September 22, when they host St. Ambrose at 7:00 p.m.
• The matchup will be the first CCAC contest between the Trojans and Bees in any sport, with St. Ambrose joining the conference as a new member in 2015.
• The Trojans begin a three-match homestand, with St. Xavier coming to Van Dixhorn Arena on Thursday, September 24, and Roosevelt making an appearance on Tuesday, September 29. Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m.