GOSHEN, Ind. – Battling back from a 2-1 deficit on Tuesday night, Trinity Volleyball came up just a few points short in the comeback, as the Trolls fell on the road at Goshen (Ind.) in five sets.
Stat Leaders
• Jumior Sharide Sykes recorded her first career double-double, setting career highs with 25 assists and 19 digs.
• Libero Jorieliss Caraballo matched her career high, recording a match-high 24 digs.
• Sarah Neighbors led the attack for the Trolls, recording 11 kills, three aces, and three total blocks, all team-highs.
Game 1
Trinity 25, Goshen 23
• After the home team took an early lead, Trinity scored a 7-1 run that included three Maple Leaf errors and an ace from Neighbors to put the Trolls in front 9-5.
• Trinity held a narrow lead throughout most of the game, until Goshen pulled even with a five-point rally to tie the score at 18-18.
• A kill from Aolani Cannon followed by a block from Cannon and Raimey Owens snapped the run, but Goshen would tie the game again twice, at 22-22 and 23-23.
• Sykes gave the Trolls game point with a kill at 24-23, and a block from Neighbors and Lauryn Yonker put Trinity ahead after the first game.
Game 2
Goshen 25, Trinity 16
• The Trolls jumped out to a 7-2 advantage, but it was quickly erased as Goshen reeled off six straight to move in front, 8-7.
• Kills from Cannon and Sykes fueled a three-point rally that put the Trolls ahead 10-8, but Trinity would be unable to string together back-to-back points the rest of the way as the Maple Leafs pulled even in the match.
Game 3
Goshen 25, Trinity 19
• Goshen opened with a 7-2 lead, before Aalyssa Gunn's kill and Neighbors' ace started a 7-1 run that briefly put the Trolls in front, 9-8.
• Trailing 11-9 after an Owens kill, the Maple Leafs scored five of the next six to take a lead they would hold the rest of the way.
Game 4
Trinity 25, Goshen 20
• The most competitive game of the night saw nine lead changes and 13 ties, as both sides exchanged small leads throughout the game.
• Makenzie Ritsema put the Trolls ahead with a kill at 18-17, as part of a 5-1 Trinity rally that put the visitors ahead late, 21-18.
• The Trolls closed out the set with four straight points, as Neighbors and Cannon scored kills while capitalizing on a pair of Goshen attack errors to force a fifth set.
Game 5
Goshen 15, Trinity 13
• The home team opened with a 5-2 advantage, but the Trolls responded with kills from Gunn and Sykes to take a 8-7 edge.
• Both teams traded one-point leads, until Gunn's kill evened the score at 11-11, and the Maple Leafs scored two straight to go up 13-11. Goshen would earn match point two plays later, and close out the night with a 4-1 run.
Match Notes
• The loss snapped the Trolls' four-match win streak over Goshen, with the two sides meeting for just the fifth time since 2005. Four of those five meetings including tonight went the full five sets.
• The loss marks the second season in a row where the Trolls opened the year with a five-set loss, falling to Mount Mercy (Iowa) in last year's opener.
• Three Trolls – Cannon, Sykes, and Yonker – all made their first career appearance in the starting lineup.
Next Up
• The Trolls return to DeVos Gymnasium for a tri-match on Saturday, August 24. Trinity will take on Georgetown (Ky.) at 10:00 a.m., before hosting Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) at 2:00 p.m.
