ST. LOUIS, MO—The Trojans continued to take all comers in 2022, traveling to St. Louis to split a pair of matches against a duo of dangerous opponents, Cumberland University and tournament host Missouri Baptist University.

The Trojans got things going on Friday against a talented Cumberland squad but showed no sluggishness from the nearly five-hour trek southward as they immediately jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening set. The Trojans parlayed the momentum into a fairly comfortable set victory with reigning CCAC Attacking Player of the Week Lana Vujosevic continuing her torrid stretch with five more kills to salt away the 25-18 margin.

The Trojans were competitive in set number two, sticking with Cumberland the whole way, but three straight points late in the set that put the Trojans behind 24-19 would prove to be the decisive blow in the 25-20 final. Trojan standout Brianna Torres continued her remarkable season and career with five more kills in the stanza, but the match was nonetheless evened at one set apiece.

The Trojans came out swinging in the third set, using streaks of four, four, and three consecutive points to grab a 15-8 lead as they sought to avenge their set two loss and regain the advantage. Vujosevic (8 kills) and Torres (7) did the heavy lifting for Trinity as they surged ahead. Cumberland fought back, however, but the resilient Trojans eventually sealed the deal with Anna Skrzypchak setting up Madison Williams for the set-sealing kill, giving the Trojans a 25-21 set win and a chance to close things out in set number four.

The fourth set was another nip-and-tuck affair, with the Trojans establishing an early advantage before Cumberland came on strong late, wiping away a six-point Trojan lead to knot things up at 23. With everything on the line, the Trojans executed to perfection, with Skrzypchak setting up Nadia Wheeler for a kill that gave the Trojans match point before Emma Gallegos dimed up the red-hot Vujosevic, who sealed the deal with a kill that gave Trinity a clutch 25-23 set win and 3-1 match victory.

All told, it was a brilliant effort from Trinity against a quality opponent, as the team hit .274 behind remarkable contributions from Torres (22 kills), Vujosevic (19 kills, .304 hitting percentage), and Skrzypchak (42 assists).

On Saturday, the Trojans retook the court, this time being pitted against a nationally ranked Missouri Baptist University (MBU) side.

The Trojans held their own throughout the opening set, scoring seven straight times and forcing an MBU timeout in the early going. Trinity led by as many as six before MBU turned it on, rattling off nine straight scores and never looking back. The Trojans fought to the last, but ultimately fell, 25-19.

The second set wasn't any kinder to Trinity, who struggled to generate consistent momentum as they were defeated by a 25-12 tally. Brianna Torres continued to stand out for the Trojans, logging five kills, but even her strong efforts weren't enough to prevent the Trojans from falling behind, two sets to none.

Trinity showed their resilience in the third set, continuing to compete after falling behind 14-7. The Trojans played some of their better ball late in the frame, scoring three straight near the end, but MBU claimed the set by a 25-16 score, sealing their sweep of the match.

While the Trojans weren't able to knock off a national powerhouse as they had hoped, Trinity still proved that they can be a player on the grand stage, managing to hang with a ranked opponent despite clearly not having their best stuff as a squad, hitting just .043 as a team. And while a 1-1 weekend might not sound too appealing at face value, the Trojans continued to show all those who tune in that they're capable of competing with—and possibly beating—whoever stands in their way.

The Trojans (19-6) will look to harness their recent momentum for a colossal conference battle with St. Xavier on Tuesday night at Van Dixhorn Arena in a match that could have major ramifications as far as the CCAC crown.

 

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TIU Women's Volleyball

 
 

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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.