At one point in the first game in Trinity volleyball’s match against Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, Reagan Fernandez dished out three aces in five serves.
The Knights were able to repeat patterns like that throughout the match to sweep YULA at the Henry Mayo Fitness Center on Monday.
“We got them out of system at times just because we were serving tough,” said Trinity coach Rebecca Peluffo. “We were hitting the spots we needed to and that makes a difference in a game to be able to get a team out of system from a serve.”
YULA kept things close with Trinity in the first game until Fernandez’s aces helped the Knights pull ahead on a seven-point scoring run to secure a 15-4 lead.
Trinity scored in spurts in the remainder of the match and Fernandez, a middle blocker, set up the game point with a kill, then scored the winning point on a block and the Knights took the game 25-9.
“Our goal was to make a bigger presence with our middles and I think she’s been doing a fantastic job,” Peluffo said of Fernandez. “Nicole (Amoroso) has been dishing it to her when we need her to, which helps our offense because then the block has to spread on the other side, so it creates so much more opportunity having her as a big threat for us.”
The Panthers scored the first two points of the second game, but Trinity quickly turned the momentum in its favor by scoring nine straight points with myriad players contributing.
Paige Kim executed a kill to keep the run going and had success from the service line, too. Kim finished the evening with five kills and an ace.
“She always executes what our coach tells her to do and when she can’t, when she makes a mistake, she’s always on it, ready to just come back and fight for that,” Fernandez said of Kim. “She did amazing at keeping up her energy today.”
Trinity forced YULA to make mistakes using serves and sound fundamental hitting to win the second game 25-12.
The Knights had a brief drop of energy in the third game that allowed the Panthers to gain some confidence and set the pace, going point-for-point until Trinity was able to get ahead by three points on a kill from Tamar Tchilingirian.
A flurry of mistakes on both sides kept the game within two points, but Trinity never gave up the advantage.
Kim set up the game point with a kill, then the Knights won 25-15 on a YULA error.
Trinity was able to bring in underclassmen players like Katie Brown, a sophomore middle and opposite, and Emma Carver, a freshman outside hitter, in the third game, giving them valuable game experience.
Carver finished the match with four kills, three aces and four digs. According to Kim, communication was the key to working the newer players in and wrapping up a win in the third game.
“I think we constantly need to be talking and in communication with each other, so everything we do, whether it be a free-ball kill or an actual kill or an ace, we’re always constantly trying to talk to each other,” Kim said. “Like say, ‘Hey that was great,’ or ‘Hey we can do better next time,’ so I think it’s just about communication.”
Trinity begins league play today at Lancaster Baptist. Game time is 5 p.m.
