MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Early Saturday morning the Trojans hit the road once again as they traveled across state lines for a non-conference match with the Pilots of Bethel University. Facing another first-year program, the Trojans looked to strike their first tally in the win column but came up short, defeated in straight sets by the Hoosier state rival.

Home team advantage reigned true in the match as the raucous crowd at Bethel proved to hinder communication and morale as the Trojans struggled from the onset. The Pilots took flight with multiple jarring runs in the opening stanza as Trinity wrestled with containing the opposing hitters with the block. Succumbing to a plethora of errors, the Trojans fell behind indefinitely as the Pilots landed the first set with a 1-11 run.

In the second set, the Trojans kept within striking distance in the early moments before Bethel hit the runway again with a 1-9 run. Trinity fought to break through on offense, but continued to give up costly errors and the result was much the same as the first frame as the Pilots closed out the set with a 2-13 stretch.

With their backs to the wall, TIU felt the pressure of the situation while the crowd roared around them as the Pilots took a quick 0-5 lead. Freshman Matthew Perry stepped in with a kill to break it up and put the Trojans on the board again. The Pilots landed another kill to take a 4-9 lead with looks to take off, but again Perry stepped up, this time accompanied with Jaylen Thompson as they stuffed the attack with a block. Benefiting from a string of Pilot errors, the Trojans were behind just one point before the Pilots surged forward again.

Associate head coach Kennedy called for a break in time to rally her troops and turn things around and inspiration struck for a moment as Jaylen Thompson crushed a set from Ethan Losinger to regain the serve. Woefully, the Pilots hit another streak and garnered a ten point cushion, 9-19. Still, the Trojans refused to go down without a fight as they rallied for six points in a string of nine. Too little too late though, the Pilots buried the game with a pair of kills and an untimely Trojan service error.

Trinity(0-7) will return to Van Dixhorn Arena on Valentine's Day for their next match against the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene University. The CCAC clash is scheduled for 7:00pm.  

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TIU Trojans
TIU Men's Volleyball