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Vincennes University

Trailblazers Battle in Five-Set Region Road Loss

Trailblazers Battle in Five-Set Region Road Loss
Box Score
October 9, 2025

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The Vincennes University Women's Volleyball team, currently receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division I National Poll, dropped its first Region 24 match of the season Thursday evening, falling on the road in a hard-fought five-set battle to Southwestern Illinois College, 3–2 (22–25, 24–26, 25–23, 25–19, 8–15). Despite the setback, the Trailblazers remain in first place in the region standings at 10–1 (23–3 overall).

VU showed resilience throughout the night, rallying after dropping the opening two sets to force a decisive fifth frame before falling just short. The Trailblazers' blocking and service pressure helped shift the momentum midway through the match, as they fought their way back into contention and made Southwestern earn every point down the stretch.

Freshman Paulina Krawczyk continued her strong recent play with 15 kills and 3 blocks, while sophomore Martyna Sadowska added 12 kills and 4 total blocks. Freshman Taryn Thuis also contributed 12 kills and 5 blocks, and Nicole De La Cruz chipped in 9 kills, 5 block assists, and 4 aces.

Rylee Edwards guided the attack with 33 assists and 12 digs, while Adaline Eisenmann again anchored the back row with 23 digs. Lili Palenczat provided an all-around effort with 7 kills, 13 digs, and a service ace in an expanded role.

"We had to make some adjustments tonight, especially playing without one of our key players in Kenli Sullivan (injury)," Head Coach Gary Sien said. "Even so, our team battled the entire way. We showed a lot of fight to come back from two sets down and put ourselves in a position to win. We just need to be a little cleaner defensively and more consistent in serve-receive."

Sien added that the effort reflected the team's mentality and commitment to staying competitive regardless of circumstances. "Every season has matches like this where you learn a lot about your group," he said. "What matters most is how we respond. This team has been resilient all year, and I'm confident we'll bounce back. One match doesn't define who we are or how well we've been playing."

VU remains atop the Region 24 standings and now turns its attention to another demanding stretch against top-level competition. The Trailblazers will travel to the Mineral Area College Cardinal Classic, opening play on Friday, Oct. 10, at 12 p.m. EST against No. 19 Indian Hills Community College, before facing Iowa Western (10 a.m. EST) and Missouri State University–West Plains (2 p.m. EST) on Saturday.

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