WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Lola Craig (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Bella Caffuzzi (Brooklyn, N.Y.) were a force to be reckoned in in the Trinity College volleyball team's season opener with 23 combined kills in the 3-1 triumph at nearby University of Saint Joseph on Tuesday (25-20, 22-25, 25-12, 25-19). The Navy & Gold improved to 1-0 on the season while the Blue Jays fell to 0-4. Trinity hosts Springfield College in the Ray Oosting Gymnasium on September 6 at 6 p.m.

USJ notched three-straight points to open the first set before a 14-2 Trinity scoring run, topped off by an eight-point scoring run by Grace Sullivan (Fort Worth, Texas) and four kills by Craig. The home team attempted to make a late rally in the opening set with a 6-1 as Trinity led 22-14 before a Craig kill and an opposing attaching error sealed the 25-20 win.

After another USJ timeout in the second set with the Blue Jays leading 19-18, USJ looked to capitalize on the break in play, with freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris getting USJ within two points of a set victory, 23-20. The Bantams made late comeback with three kills from Caffuzzi, pulling back within one, 23-22, but two costly errors secured set two for USJ, 25-22, and brought the match to a 1-1 deadlock.

Set three was another close contest, as both teams played out a 7-7 tie. The Bantams utilized a 7-1 stretch to begin to pull away finished off with a pair of attacking errors by the home team and a serving ace by Craig, but a Shannon Carey Kill kept the Blue Jays within three, 14-11. However, the Navy & Gold took back the momentum, ending the set on an 11-1 stretch, to take the set, 25-12, and a 2-1 edge in the match. Ava Boloyan (American Canyon, Calif.) ignited the 11-1 run with a seven-point serving stretch including a pair of serving aces at the start of the run.

Back-to-back kills from Carey and Harris pulled USJ within two, 7-5, but an 11-4 Bantams run saw the visitors establish a nine-point lead, 18-9. Three serving aces by Julia Torre (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and kills by Margaret McCarthy (San Diego, Calif.), Craig and Ellie Gordon (The Villahes, Fla.) put the Bantams up, 18-7. Trinity looked to secure the win, getting within set point, but the Blue Jays would not go away easy capped off by a five-point serving run from libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez to cut the gap to 24-19. However, Trinity secured the final point of a kill by Grace Soltis (Newtown, Conn.), winning the third set, 25-19, and the match, 3-1.