POINT LOOKOUT, MO—The entirety of the Trojans' 2022 campaign has been shrouded in positivity, excellence, and most importantly, results. After downing a familiar foe, conference rival Judson University, to stash the 29th win of a marvelous season, the Trojans will vie for a national crown.
There was no feeling out process in the opening moments as the conference rivals faced off for the third time this season, standing toe to toe and exchanging barbs as the see-saw set remained even for the vast majority of its duration. The Judson Eagles nosed ahead with a kill to make it 23-22, but as they had all season long, Trinity conjured up their finest work when it mattered most. Brilliant freshman
Theresa Romero continued her romp through the postseason with her sixth kill of the set to even the score before the Trojans took advantage of an attacking error to queue up set point. It was then that one of the Trojans' many under-the-radar stars, netfront technician
Madison Williams, had her moment in the sun, rising above the twine to stuff a blistering attack for the set-winning block. When the dust had settled, the heroics of Romero and Williams were enough to survive the early scare as the Trojans claimed the initial set, 25-23.
It looked like more of the same was on tap in the second set when the Trojans rattled off five consecutive points to stake out a 10-5 advantage, but Judson showed their resolve and defiance as the stanza wore on, rapidly erasing the deficit and surging ahead to a commanding lead. The Trojans provided a strong and diverse resistance, with five players recording kills as CCAC Player of the Year
Brianna Torres (four kills, one assist, one ace in the set) led the way, but it ultimately wasn't enough to overcome the motivated Eagles, who rode a 12-3 closing run all the way to a comfortable 25-17 winning margin.
The Trojans came out swinging in the third set, seizing a 4-0 advantage while again tapping into the seemingly endless reserves of production provided by Torres, who recorded kills on each of the first three sequences of the frame. The never-say-die Eagles quickly reeled in the margin with four straight of their own to even the reckoning at five, but the Trojans continued to forge ahead, capitalizing on another 4-0 run moments later to open up a 13-8 advantage. Once more, the tenacious Eagles hitched their talons to their opponent before they could run away, piecing together five scores in a row to knot things up at 13. The proceedings remained tight down the stretch before the Trojans caught fire for a decisive run of five straight that finally gave Trinity some breathing room and a 22-16 edge. With the Trojans perched on the doorstep of a pivotal set win, it was standout attacker
Lana Vujosevic's time to shine, as the Trinity star continued to grind through an injury to produce for the Trojans, recording the final three kills to bring her total for the set to six and bring the Trojans to within one set of a match for the national title.
Determined to punch their ticket to the national final, the Trojans came out swinging in what would prove to be the final set of the semifinal tilt, as Trinity never trailed by more than a single point throughout the proceedings. Every time the Eagles threatened, the Trojans had the answer, responding to 3-2 and 10-9 Judson leads with streaks of four and five straight points, respectively. Up 18-16 late, Trinity landed the decisive blow, rattling off six consecutive tallies by four different killers under the guidance of the Trojans' top server Vujosevic to achieve match point. Moments later, the iconic combo of setter
Anna Skrzypchak and
Brianna Torres linked up to seal the deal, with Torres hammering down the final kill to send the Trojans to the national title game via a 25-18 set four victory.
The Trojans' semifinal win marks the third time they have defeated Judson in as many matches, besting their conference opponent nine sets to two in what has been an entertaining, if largely one-sided, rivalry in 2022. The Trinity box score was littered with fantastic lines in a match that saw the Trojans maintain an excellent .250 hitting percentage throughout. Among the many heroes was the attacking triumvirate of Torres (15 kills, three aces), Romero (14 kills on a .462 hitting percentage), and Vujosevic (14 kills), while their efforts were greatly enhanced by those of Skrzypchak (game-high 50 assists) and Trinity's stellar libero
Jaylyn Freeman (game-high 25 digs).
The Trojans' (29-9) epic journey fill finally reach its climax when they square off with the Rams of Columbia International University at 1 o'clock p.m. on Saturday, December 3, seeking their 30th victory of a magical 2022, and, more importantly, an NCCAA national championship.
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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.
