HARTFORD, Conn. - Trinity College's Women's Volleyball team completed a dramatic reverse sweep against the visiting Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors on Friday night in Oosting Gymnasium. With the win, the Bantams improve 5-0 on the season, while the Warriors dip 3-3 overall.
The Warriors won the first two sets of the match, claiming the opening set 27-25 and the second set 25-23. In the first set, ECSU trailed for most of the set but surged late with an 8-3 run, taking a 25-24 lead. Despite a couple of attack errors by the Bantams, Trinity couldn't reclaim the lead and surrendered the first set. In the second set, Trinity lost the lead early on. Although they mounted a late rally to narrow the gap, it wasn't enough to secure the set win.
The Bantams came out on the attack in the second set, jumping to a 7-3 lead, powered by three kills from senior Bella Caffuzzi and a kill from first-year Annette Shlunk. Trinity maintained a lead of four or more points until a 5-0 run by the Warriors tied the score at 16-16. However, three consecutive kills from Grace Sullivan, Shlunk, and Eva Lekovic helped the Bantams regain control and secure their first set win of the night, keeping them in the match with a score of 25-21.
The sides traded the lead at the start of the fourth set until a 7-2 run put the Bantams ahead 24-20. Trinity allowed the Warriors one final point before Eva Lekovic's eighth kill of the set sealed the Bantams' second match point and sent the game into a decisive fifth set with a score of 25-21.
Trinity built an 8-4 lead in the fifth set, creating a separation that would hold for the remainder of the match. Four additional kills from Lekovic and a powerful block assist by Chloe Gentile and Lekovic secured the Bantams' 15th point to close out the nail-biting 3-2 victory for Trinity College.
Over the past fourteen years, the Bantams and Warriors have faced each other in eight matches that went to a decisive fifth set. With tonight's win, the Bantams now hold three of those eight hard-fought victories.
"It was a gritty performance," Head Coach Jen Bowman remarked after the win. "We battled hard against a talented Eastern Connecticut State University team."
Junior Caroline Howell, now a member of the 1,000 career assists club, added 32 more assists to her tally in tonight's match, leading the Bantams. Eva Lekovic spearheaded the Trinity attack with 23 kills and 3 block assists, maintaining her position at the top of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) with 78 kills on the young season. Bella Caffuzzi contributed 10 kills and led the team with 3 solo blocks, while sophomore Scarlett Jago, for the fourth consecutive match, led the Bantams in digs and is now second in the NESCAC.
Trinity will look to continue their impressive performance as they travel to Portland, ME, for a non-conference tri-match with Massachusetts Maritime Academy, hosted by the University of Southern Maine, on Saturday, September 14th.
TRINITY ATHLETICS
