ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University volleyball team won an instant classic on Friday night inside Hershey Hall. The Thunder completed the reverse sweep over the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, thanks in large part to 19 blocks. The Thunder move to 6-6 with the win.
Tonight marked the first meeting between the two programs and the first time Trine has played an international opponent. The Jerezanas compete in NCAA Division II as an Independent and are in the Hoosier State for a series of games. UPRRP will play Manchester University and Saint Mary's College (Ind.) tomorrow.
Trine's 19 blocks are the fourth most in a game in program history, their 26 assist blocks are the second most.
Addyson Kuzma,
Adelaide Elden, and
Bailey Rasawehr each finished with eight blocks, Kuzma had three solo blocks.
Elli Baker led the offense with 15 kills.
Trine took the match 24-26, 9-25, 25-19, 27-25, 17-15. The Thunder defense sparked the rally in the third set with ten blocks. Until then, the Thunder had not had much go their way. Trine made four consecutive blocks to turn a 16-15 deficit into a 19-16 lead and ignite the home crowd. Rasawehr and Elden got the first, then
Julia Maggio and Kuzma made it back-to-back. Kuzma and Rasawehr then blocked the next two and sent the student section into a frenzy and force a timeout. The offense pitched in four kills to close out the set from there.
Trine trailed 7-2 in set four before methodically clawing back to take a 19-17 lead. Baker punched four kills and Kuzma and Maggio teamed up for another denial to take the lead. Kuzma erased a 21-20 lead with a personal 3-0 run, sandwiching a solo block between two kills. The Thunder then forced the fifth set with three consecutive points while trailing 25-24.
The magic appeared to have run out in the fifth set as the Jerezanas took a 14-10 lead. Trine scored five consecutive points to stay alive, returning a plethora of well timed attacks by the guests. Kuzma and Steenwyk added kills to give Trine a 15-14 lead. Riding momentum, the Thunder looked to put the match away but UPRRP tied the match. Elden helped Trine retake the lead at 16-15 and
Cheyenne Moore sealed the win with an ace.
Trine heads to Rose Hulman Institute of Technology tomorrow for a matchup with the Fighting Engineers and the Illinois Institute of Technology.
