Trailblazers fall in Region 24 match at Kaskaskia

CENTRALIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team had their Region 24 winning streak snapped Tuesday night when the Blazers fell in four sets at Kaskaskia College.

The Blue Angels ended the VU winning streak at 44 matches as Vincennes fell 14-25, 25-18, 20-25, 17-25.

The match started out well for the Trailblazers, building a quick 10-7 lead over Kaskaskia, before the Blue Angels used a pair of big scoring runs to pull away late in the opening set and take set one 25-14 over Vincennes.

VU would look to rebound and even the match in the second set and got off to a great start, growing a big 14-5 early advantage.

Kaskaskia would try to cut into the big deficit down the stretch of the set, but were only able to cut the VU lead down to six as the Blazers took set two 25-18 and evened the match at 1-1.

Vincennes forced a pivotal third set and the momentum would swing back-and-forth throughout most of the set as both teams traded the lead and left the score even at 20-20.

Kaskaskia would close out the third set strong and take a 2-1 match lead by scoring the final five points of the third set to win 25-20.

With their backs against the wall, the Trailblazers refused to give up, battling in the fourth set after falling behind early.

Unfortunately for Vincennes, Kaskaskia was able to make a few more plays late in set four to pull away and ride the home crowd to a 25-17 set four win to take the match 3-1.

"You need to be ready to match the other team's intensity, especially in their place and we failed to do that tonight," VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. "When you fail to do that, you get beat, it's as simple as that. It's disappointing that after such a great weekend, we took a couple of steps backwards."

The Trailblazer offense was led by sophomore Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) who led the Blazers with 13 kills, six digs, two blocks, one set assist and one ace.

Sophomores Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) and Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) had a good game at the net, each recording six kills, with Dalla Pozza posting a team-high five blocks and two aces, while Czyzewski added four blocks.

Sophomore Laura Tavares (Meridia, Venezuela) finished her night with five kills, six digs, one set assist and one block.

Freshmen Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) and Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) rounded out the VU offensive numbers with Sadowska ending with three kills and one block, while Fister finished the match with one kill and a pair of digs.

Sophomore setter Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) ran the VU offense with a team-high 28 set assists, five kills, one ace and one dig.

Sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) matched the team-high in digs on the night with six digs and two set assists, while fellow sophomore Dylan DeCoursey (Montgomery, Ind.) added two set assists.

Freshman Julianna Rettig (Antioch, Ill.) had a really good match in her second appearance in the Blue and Gold this season, finishing her night with a pair of digs, two set assists and one ace.

Freshman Ashley Earp (Mattoon, Ill.) rounded out the VU box score by recording one block on the night.

"Julianna stepped up in only her second collegiate match to pass and serve well," Sien added. "Allison had a good night at the net with blocking and hitting and Isadora played well all around in both the front and back rows."

The Trailblazers will look to rebound, regroup and hopefully begin a new Region 24 winning streak when they return to the home floor of the Physical Education Complex Friday, Sept. 27 to take on John A. Logan College at 7 p.m. eastern.

The Blazers will then close out the weekend by heading to Champaign, Ill. for the Parkland College Fall Challenge Saturday, Sept. 28 and face-off against NJCAA Division II No. 5-ranked Heartland C.C. at 4 p.m. eastern and Lincoln Land C.C. at 6 p.m. eastern.

"We don't have a choice now, we have to play perfectly from this point on in all Region play," Sien said. "This should be a wake up call for all of us that we need to be at our very best at all times."

BOX SCORE

Kaskaskia – 25   18   25   25   x

VUVB (14-5, 6-1) – 14   25   20   17   x

VINCENNES STATS

Grace Flexter – 6 digs, 2 set assists

Paulina Fister – 1 point, 1 kill, 2 digs

Dylan DeCoursey – 2 set assists

Julianna Rettig – 1 point, 1 ace, 2 digs, 2 set assists

Laura Tavares – 5.5 points, 5 kills, 1 block assist, 6 digs, 1 set assist

Isadora Dias – 15 points, 1 ace, 13 kills, 2 block assists, 6 digs, 1 set assists

Allison Czyzewski – 8 points, 6 kills, 4 block assists

Ashley Earp – 0.5 points, 1 block assist

Martyna Sadowska – 3.5 points, 3 kills, 1 block assist

Elisa Dalla Pozza – 11.5 points, 2 aces, 6 kills, 2 solo blocks, 3 block assists, 1 set assist

Libby Mehringer – 6 points, 1 ace, 5 kills, 1 dig, 28 set assists