Trailblazers Split on Opening Day of Blazer Classic

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Volleyball team opened play at the Blazer Classic Friday with an impressive Region 24 victory over Southwestern Illinois before dropping a five-set heartbreaker to nationally ranked Mineral Area College. The Trailblazers now sit at 8-1 on the season and will look to bounce back Saturday with matches against Wallace State and Ellsworth.

VU 3, Southwestern Illinois 1

VU overcame a slow start in its first match, falling 25-22 in the opening set against SWIC before taking control and winning the next three sets 25-12, 25-17, 25-22. The Trailblazers showcased their balance with three players reaching double-figure kills. Taryn Thuis was outstanding in the middle with 14 kills on a .478 hitting percentage. Kenli Sullivan added 13 kills, while Nicole De La Cruz delivered 10 kills and four aces. Rylee Edwards set the offense in motion with 28 assists, and libero Adaline Eisenmann anchored the defense with 17 digs.

Head Coach Gary Sien credited the team's serving and blocking for sparking the turnaround. "The things we do well are serving tough and blocking, and when we locked into those, we controlled the match," Sien said. "Our middles really stood out, with both Taryn and Nicole scoring big at the net and also contributing with blocks. It was an important emotional win against a strong Region 24 opponent"

No. 18 Mineral Area 3, VU 2

The nightcap against No. 18-ranked Mineral Area lived up to its billing, with both teams trading momentum in a back-and-forth battle. VU edged out the first two sets 27-25 and 28-26 before the Cardinals rallied to take the final three 25-16, 25-19, 17-15. Sullivan again led the way with 20 kills and 10 digs, while De La Cruz was dominant with 17 kills on .471 hitting. Thuis added 11 kills, and Eisenmann piled up 34 digs in a strong defensive effort

Despite the narrow defeat, Sien emphasized the growth shown by his young team. "It was a very emotional day—coming off the SWIC win and then having to immediately turn around and play a top-20 program," he said. "We made the right plays in key moments early, and even though Mineral Area came back, we never stopped fighting. The biggest takeaway is that this team showed heart and competitive drive, and that's something you can't coach. Tonight we grew up a lot as a team"

Looking Ahead

The Trailblazers return to action Saturday with two more matches at the Blazer Classic, facing Wallace State Community College-Hanceville at 10 a.m. (EST) and Ellsworth Community College at 2 p.m. (EST). More info on the Blazer Classic, including all game schedules, can be found here.

Hear more from Coach Sien by clicking here.

Join the Journey

As always, fans can keep up with the Vincennes University Volleyball squad all year long through a number of ways:

• X (formerly Twitter): @VUTrailblazers
• Facebook: Vincennes University Athletics
• Instagram: @VincennesUTrailblazers
• Youtube (live & on demand content): BlazerVision
• Website: https://govutrailblazers.com