BANNOCKBURN, Ill. --- The TIU women's volleyball team returned home to Van Dixhorn Arena on Friday night as they hosted the Trinity Christian College Trolls in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play. Coming off a three-set loss at Saint Xavier on Tuesday, the Trojans looked for a key win against the conference rival, facing off against former TIU assistant coach Becky Eller.

After jumping ahead 7-2 in the opening set, the Trolls would storm back and challenge TIU, a common theme that would play out throughout the night. Forcing TCC into 11 attack errors, the Trojans would take the first frame by a score of 25-23.

Things would tighten up in the second set, which saw 14 ties and nine lead changes. With a ten kill performance in the set, TIU was able to narrowly edge the Trolls in an extended second frame, 27-25. Trinity Christian would respond to a 2-0 match deficit, coming back after trailing by two points to win the third set, 25-23.

In the fourth frame, the Trojans, aided by a strong performance at the service line and several errors by their opponents, jumped in front after a slow start thanks to a 6-0 run with Bethany DiSilvesto at the service line. TIU would not look back as they posted a team-high 12 kills en route to a 25-20 win in the fourth set, closing out the 3-1 win over the Trolls.

Brianna Torres led the TIU offense with 12 kills and 11 digs, as Matty Hawkins recorded 11 kills, plus two blocks. Anna Skrzypchak notched 32 assists, while Jaylyn Freeman posted 23 digs on defense. Lana Vujosevic, along with Skrzypchak and Freeman, each notched two service aces each.

ADDITIONAL GAME NOTES

• TIU's win on Friday against Trinity Christian was just the third all-time win against the Trolls. TCC still holds a commanding 19-3 record in the series.

• The Trojans win marks the first time TIU has beaten TCC in 12 years. TIU's last victory over the Trolls came on Sept. 15, 2009 in a five-set thriller in Deerfield. TIU's win also snaps a 14-match losing streak to Trinity Christian.

• With their win over the Trolls, TIU head coach Luke Ward has now defeated every CCAC opponent he has faced at least once. Brianna Torres, Matty Hawkins, Anna Skrzypchak, Grace Mauersberger, Jaylyn Freeman, Emma Gallegos, and Madeline Trippett also join Ward in having beaten every single conference challenger at least one time in the last four seasons.

• Friday's match featured 31 ties and 14 lead changes throughout the night, both season-highs for TIU.

• The Trojans posted eight service aces to the Troll's four.

• With a 9-4 mark in league play, the Trojans sit in fourth place in the CCAC standings with five matches left to play. The top eight teams in the conference will qualify for the CCAC Tournament, with the top four programs earning home-court advantage for the opening round.

• Defensive specialist Jaylyn Freeman earned her 100th career service ace on Friday. Freeman, who notched 37 aces while playing at Gadsden State Community College (2018-19), recorded two aces against Trinity Christian, giving her 63 as a Trojan.

UP NEXT

The Trojans (14-12) return to action on Tuesday night as they host the Fighting Bees of Saint Ambrose University in CCAC action. First serve is scheduled for 7:00pm CST at Van Dixhorn Arena, and can be watched LIVE on the Trojan Sports Network. 

The TIU women's volleyball team will also be holding a silent auction prior to, and during the match as part of Pediatric Cancer Night as part of their team fundraiser towards brain tumor research. To learn more about the team's fundraiser or to donate, visit their fundraising website.

Visit TIUtrojans.com to stay up to date with the latest TIU women's volleyball news and updates.

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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.