Trinity volleyball takes match at key moments

Trinity Classical Academy's girls volleyball team celebrates their victory against Mammoth. Dan Watson/The Signal
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There were points in Trinity Classical Academy’s match Thursday afternoon when the Knights looked tentative, like the spotlight of a CIF-Southern Section Division 9 second-round match might be too bright.

Then there were moments when the Knights played dynamic and swift, dead set on securing the deepest postseason run in program history.

MORE volleyball: SCCS advances in five-game nail-biter

The latter outweighed the former and propelled Trinity past Mammoth High of Mammoth Lakes in four games at the Henry Mayo Fitness and Health Center and into its first-ever quarterfinal.

Game scores were 25-17, 21-25, 25-21 and 30-28.

Trinity Classical Academy's Mary McAdam (7) celbrates as Trinity takes the lead against Mammoth on Thursday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Trinity Classical Academy’s Mary McAdam (7) celbrates as Trinity takes the lead against Mammoth on Thursday. Dan Watson/The Signal

“I think we got a little frantic, and it got the best of us,” said Trinity coach Rebecca Peluffo, whose team improved to 14-10-1. “But the girls were able to turn it around, and once we get going, they just go with it.”

Never more so than at the end of game four, when Trinity’s Hannah Caddow scored five of the Knights’ final 12 points to end a 30-28 marathon.

Caddow was asking for sets, and her team was all too happy to oblige.

“She was on fire,” Peluffo said.

After the teams split the first two games, Trinity built a commanding 16-5 lead in game three before the Huskies (25-8-2) surged to within two at 22-20.

Caddow came through then, too. She blocked a kill attempt back onto Mammoth’s side for Trinity’s 24th point, and she recorded one of her team-high 14 kills for the game’s clincher.

She said afterward she was more interested in the overall result than in how the Knights got there.

“It doesn’t matter how many kills or digs you get,” she said. “It matters how you’re playing as a team.”

Trinity Classical Academy defenders Emily Buchanan (5) and Carissa Bixler (2) go up to block a shot by Mammoth on Thursday. Dan Watson/The Signal
Trinity Classical Academy defenders Emily Buchanan (5) and Carissa Bixler (2) go up to block a shot by Mammoth on Thursday. Dan Watson/The Signal

An assessment of how the Knights were playing would depend on which part of the match you were talking about.

There was the 8-2 lead it built to start game four. Then there was Mammoth’s answer, a 7-1 run that knotted the score, 9-9.

Then Trinity fell behind 20-16 before tying things again at 21-all.

The teams were tied seven more times before Caddow finally ended it.

Jessica Eblin had 12 kills for Trinity, while Taylor Oshiro had 10.

Eblin had 25 assists, while Kathryn Brooks led the way with 28.

The Knights will host San Gabriel Academy on Saturday. Time and place are yet to be determined.

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