MVB Block
0
Trinity International TRINITY 0-10
3
Winner Life LIFE 8-5
Trinity International TRINITY
0-10
0
Final
3
Life LIFE
8-5
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Trinity International TRINITY 8 15 21 (0)
Life LIFE 25 25 25 (3)
0
Trinity International TRINITY 0-11
3
Winner Cornerstone (MI) CORNERST 12-4
Trinity International TRINITY
0-11
0
Final
3
Cornerstone (MI) CORNERST
12-4
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Trinity International TRINITY 21 17 8 (0)
Cornerstone (MI) CORNERST 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | | Ethan Oskroba

Trojans drop tournament twinbill despite Losinger’s opus

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Following Friday night's defeat to nationally ranked St. Xavier, the Trojans were faced with another difficult assignment Saturday, racing up the mitten for a pair of showdowns with Life University and host school Cornerstone, both of whom dispatched the Trojans in straight sets.

The Trojans were greeted rudely by the Running Eagles of Life University, who uncorked a titanic run of 10 straight points to seize an 11-1 lead. Trinity's defense was the hallmark of the ill-fated stanza, with Matthew Perry nabbing a solo block while Jaylen Thompson and Evin Ovie combined for a stop, but the union of the early crater and a low offensive output that saw the Trojans record just one kill in the set was ultimately too much for the blue-and-white to overcome, as they dropped the frame, 25-8.

The Trojan offense came to life in the second set, surging ahead to an early 6-3 lead. The Trojans fended off their assailants until midway through the stanza, when the Running Eagles hit their stride, rifling off a 10-0 run for the second consecutive set. Despite a resilient closing effort, Trinity fell short in their comeback bid, 25-15, but the unfortunate outcome did little to dull the impressiveness of the exploits of dynamic setter Ethan Losinger (four kills, two assists) and attacking weapon Jaylen Thompson (two kills, one assist, one block assist).

The Trojans saved the best for last in what would prove to be the final set of the contest, jumping ahead to a 2-0 advantage. Once again, momentum proved to be a sticking point, with Trinity conceding five straight before lapsing to a 14-7 deficit. Sensing the urgency, the Trojans kicked into gear, capitalizing on a series of Eagle miscues to snare four subsequent points of their own. Trailing 20-13 late, the Trojans again answered the bell, rattling off a 6-0 sprint behind a brilliant service spree by Parker Lundberg, who claimed the Trojans' third ace of the set. Despite whittling the deficit down to just one, the Trojans never overcame the margin, falling 25-21 despite a couple late kills from Soren Halvorson, who recorded a team-high three on the set.

Things didn't get any easier for Trinity on the flip side of the event, with the Trojans squaring off with the hosting Golden Eagles of Cornerstone. The Trojans took the fight to the hometown squad, playing see-saw volleyball on the way to establishing a slim 11-9 edge. The Golden Eagles then planted five straight on the Trojans, but Trinity kept its composure and contained the damage, limiting the home squad to a 14-13 edge. The Trinity offense buoyed their resistance on a diverse array of contributions, with six different Trojans registering in the scoring column with a kill, a block, or an ace. Cornerstone continued to wear down the Trojans, however, closing in on the victory while owning a 23-18 lead, but the Trojans refused to tap out, snagging three points in a row before the Eagles landed the decisive blow to close the ledger on a 25-21 set victory.

While the Trojan offense was discordant in the second stanza, accounting for just two kills, that didn't prevent the scrappy bunch from posing a challenge to their more polished rival. Trinity clawed its way to a 6-5 edge before a 7-1 Eagle spree placed the home squad firmly ahead. The Trojans refused to back down, turning to dependable weapons Thompson and Matthew Perry to tally kills to help Trinity. Still chasing and looking for a spark, the Trojans captured the momentum when Losinger detonated for a trio of consecutive aces to bring his squad to within two. Despite the shot in the arm, the Trojans couldn't engineer a way to erase the separation, falling to the Golden Eagles, 25-17.

The must-win final set was doomed from the start as the Golden Eagles racked up 5-0 and 13-2 leads to ambush the Trojans. Trinity fought back, with the squad's three leading killers, Perry, Thompson, and Halvorsen, all making their mark, but the comeback bid proved futile, with Cornerstone claiming the set, 25-8, to seal the match.

The Trojans will head back to the drawing board, but they won't do so empty-handed, having enjoyed rock-solid outings from Thompson (seven kills, two service aces, two block assists on the weekend), Halvorson (six kills, one ace), and Perry (six kills, 1.5 blocks), as well as a sensational effort from the multidimensional Losinger (five kills, 17 assists, five aces, two block assists).

Trinity (0-12) will continue their quest as they head to Whiting, Indiana, to face off with the Crimson Wave of Calumet College St. Joseph in a CCAC midweek tilt.
 
 
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TIU Men's Volleyball

 
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