KOKOMO, Ind. --- Hitting the road for a break in CCAC play, the Trojans faced off against the Cougars of Indiana University Kokomo, a team that has received votes in the national polls for two weeks running. Despite keeping each set close, TIU ultimately fell to the Cougars after four sets.

Trinity took a quick 3-1 lead following an error by the Cougars, bookended by two kills from Nadia Wheeler. Both teams traded the lead until Trinity tied the game 14-14 with another kill by Wheeler then took a three point lead. The Cougars answered swiftly, taking the next three points and again tying the game 17-17 before the Trojans took a timeout. Out of the break, the Cougars landed two more points and the Trojans called a second timeout. Madison Williams notched a kill to get the Trojans to a single point deficit 19-20, but IU Kokomo hit a rally and cruised to 25 points to seal the Trojan defeat.

A rough start, the Trojans went down 5-1 to the Cougars before landing a pair of kills by freshman Theresa Romero and another by Wheeler. An attack error followed by another kill by Wheeler tied up the score 5-5. Emma Gallegos took up the serving position and notched back-to-back service aces paired with two more errors by the Cougars to give the Trojans a three-point lead. The next seven points went back and forth across the net before Trinity was able to rally again with four consecutive points initiated by a kill from Lana Vujosevic. IU Kokomo called a timeout and from the break landed three consecutive points before giving up a service error followed by another attack error. With the Trojans leading 21-17 The Cougars called another timeout to their success, causing a serving error by the Trojans. On the following serve Madison Williams notched a kill to maintain the Trojan's lead, 22-18, before the Cougars earned two more points and cut the Trojan lead to a couple. A timeout by Trinity International seemed to be of no avail as the Cougars got the lead point out of the break. With the score tied at 23-23, TIU called another timeout to stop the Cougars momentum, and this time succeeded in doing so. Once play resumed the Cougars earned two additional points due to Trojan errors, but the Trojans sealed the deal forcing extra points and winning the set 27-25. 

Well into the third set, the scoreline stayed closed until the Cougars began to pull away after a 7-9 score. A slew of Trojan errors gave the Cougars a six-point lead before the Trojans called a timeout to regroup and refocus. Out of the break, the Trojans earned three consecutive points following an attack error by the Cougars and back-to-back kills by Brianna Torres. With a score of 10-13, the Cougars landed three more points before the Trojans answered with six of their own, broken up by a single Cougar point.  Feeling the Trojan's offensive pressure and only a single point lead, IU Kokomo called a timeout.  Of the remaining 11 points in the match, four were due to attacking errors, and the Cougars benefited from more than the Trojans. Despite a resilient effort from Trinity, the Cougars came out on top 19-25.

Looking to tie up the overall score, Trinity came out strong in the fourth set after regaining the serve from a Cougar error. Gallegos took up the serve again and earned herself another ace on the night, followed by back-to-back kills by Madison Williams to give the Trojans an early lead. Trinity remained in the lead for the next eight services before IU Kokomo focused their attack again to take a 9-8 lead. After a tied score at 14-14, the Cougars took the go-ahead point and the Trojans responded by calling timeout. From the break, the Cougars took the next four points, disrupted once by another kill from Williams. With IU Kokomo leading 19-15, TIU called their second timeout and subsequently benefited from a Cougar attacking error. Unfortunately, the Cougars would hit a rally and score the next five points, deterred only by a service error before landing their final point and winning the set 25-17.

On the court, setter Anna Skryzpchak had a season high in digs (13) while leading the team in assists (40). Libero Jaylyn Freeman led the Trojans with 20 digs and Brianna Torres and Madison Williams led in kills with 14 each.

Up Next:
Trinity (12-3) looks to bounce back as they resume conference play this week against the Eagles of Judson University on the road Tuesday evening.
 
 

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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.