PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. --- The Trinity International University volleyball team took on the Trinity Christian College Trolls on Thursday night in the semifinal round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament. TIU, just two days removed from a thrilling five-set win over St. Francis, looked to upset their conference rival, who held the top seed in the tournament and entered the match after a four set win over Judson.

Having lost both regular season matchups to the Trolls, TIU entered the match with high hopes. The Trojans kept great pace with high powered TCC offense behind a balanced attack led by Sara Andric and Madeline Decker. However, the TCC duo of Sarah Kiwan and Ana Lambros proved to be just as talented as they combined for 19 kills on the night.

While Matty Hawkins proved to be a force at the net with four blocks, TCC showed their power in blocking with ten total team blocks. While both defenses posted stellar performances, with the Trojans being led by Kierra Koepke and Penina Sao, TCC matched TIU dig-for-dig throughout the night as the Trolls ended the Trojan's CCAC Tournament run with a three set sweep, 20-25, 19-25, 15-25.

Andric notched 11 kills in the loss, while Decker totaled six. Defensively, Koepke led the Trojans with 16 digs, followed by Sao with 14, and Deb Kovalczuk with 12. Skyler Muramoto also totaled 24 assists in the loss.

Despite being eliminated from contention for a CCAC Tournament title, the Trojan have qualified for the National Christian Athletic Association (NCCAA) Tournament. Further details regarding opponents, time and location will be released as they become available.

Trinity International University is a comprehensive, national university affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America and located in Bannockburn, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. TIU educates men and women to engage in God's redemptive work in the world by cultivating academic excellence, Christian faithfulness and lifelong learning.