PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. – Freshman Zach Supanich posted a career-high 24 points on Wednesday night, as the Trolls would go four rounds with visitors Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) but ultimately come up just short, 17-25, 25-17, 25-20, 26-24 inside DeVos Gymnasium.
The Trolls would open the night with a 4-0 run on a pair of kills and a block from Supanich, as Trinity took the first set leading wire-to-wire. Later in the set, Trinity would go on a 6-0 run, highlighted by four straight aces from Supanich. One more kill from the freshman along with another from C.J. Lafin would help close out the set on a 3-0 run to give the Trolls the early lead in the match.
The visitors would flip the script in game two, leading start-to-finish and evening the match at one set apiece. Trinity would briefly tie the game at 7-7 after the Cougars opened on a 5-1 run, but would then fall behind after MVNU would take six of the next eight points to go back up 13-9. Another four-point rally would stretch the lead further, at 17-11 as the Cougars went on to take the set.
Tied 4-4 early in game three, the Cougars would score six of the next eight to build a 10-6 advantage. The Trolls were unable to pull even before another six-point run stretched the lead further, at 20-12. Trinity would out-score Mount Vernon 8-4 down the stretch but ran out of time on the comeback attempt.
Neither side would take more than a two-point lead throughout the fourth set, which would see six lead changes over the course of the game. The Cougars would hold a two-point edge, earning match point at 24-22, before a Supanich kill and an MVNU attacking error tied the game at 24-24. The visitors would close out the match in the next two points, taking the game 26-24.
Supanich finished with a match-high 19 kills, with four aces and a solo block to go with seven digs. Lafin tallied 11 kills with five total blocks and eight digs. Samuel Kwan led the defense with 15 kills on the night.
The Trolls resume CCAC play on Friday night, when they host Saint Xavier. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.
