Trailblazers Rally Past Wabash Valley for Region Road Win
MT. CARMEL, Ill. – The Vincennes University Women's Volleyball team earned a key Region 24 victory Monday night, defeating Wabash Valley College 3–0 (25–19, 28–26, 25–19) at the Spencer Sports Center. The Trailblazers improved to 25–8 overall and 12–3 in Region 24, holding a half-game lead for second place over Lake Land College and sitting 1.5 games behind first-place John A. Logan College.
VU controlled much of the match but needed a big rally in the second set to secure the sweep. Down 17–7, the Trailblazers steadied their serve receive and tightened their blocking to storm back and take the frame 28–26 — a stretch Head Coach Gary Sien called the turning point of the night. "That second set was the key," Sien said. "We were down and just stayed calm. We passed better, served tougher, and executed much cleaner from that point on. Once we climbed back, we really settled in and controlled the match."
From there, VU carried its momentum into the third, closing out the Warriors behind a balanced offensive attack and consistent back-row defense. Paulina Krawczyk continued her strong play on the outside with 12 kills, a .300 hitting percentage, and 14 total points, while Kenli Sullivan added 9 kills, 11 digs, and 11 total points. Taryn Thuis contributed 8 kills and a team-best 5 block assists, and Nicole De La Cruz tallied 7 kills, 2 aces, and 11.5 points. Martyna Sadowska also added 7 kills, giving VU five players with seven or more kills in the match — one of the team's most balanced offensive efforts of the season.
Sien credited the team's composure and improved passing for helping turn defense into offense. "Wabash is always a tough place to play," he said. "We missed a few digs early that could've made the first set easier, but from the second set on, we really played our game. Our serve receive was better, our block was more disciplined, and that allowed us to run a more complete offense."
Rylee Edwards directed the attack with 33 assists and 7 digs, while Adaline Eisenmann anchored the defense with 15 digs. Scarlet Konkel added 5 assists and 7 digs off the bench in a strong support role. Sien said that balance — and improved efficiency from his attackers — was the difference.
"Paulina's getting more comfortable every match — she's transitioned really well from the middle to the outside and gives us a big swing when we need it," Sien said. "Taryn and Nicole were both very good at the net again, and Kenli's presence makes such a difference on both sides of the ball. She's still working her way back into rhythm, but it's great to have her out there."
The Trailblazers now turn their attention to a pivotal Region 24 matchup at home against league-leader John A. Logan College on Wednesday, October 22, at 7 p.m. EDT inside the P.E. Complex. Vincennes won the first meeting between the two teams 3–0 on September 17 at Logan and will look to replicate that result as they enter the final weeks of the regular season.
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
