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Vincennes University

Top-Seeded VU Advances to Region 24 Final

Top-Seeded VU Advances to Region 24 Final
Box Score
November 1, 2025

MATTOON, Ill. – The Vincennes University Women's Volleyball team began its postseason championship chase Saturday evening with a decisive 3–0 sweep (25–17, 25–19, 25–23) over #4 seed Southwestern Illinois College in the NJCAA Region 24 Tournament Semifinals at Lake Land College. The win improved the top-seeded Trailblazers to 29–8 overall and advanced them to Sunday's Region 24 Championship, where they will face Lake Land College for the title.

Southwestern Illinois earned its spot in the semifinals with a 3–1 win earlier in the day over #5 seed Kaskaskia College, but the Trailblazers wasted no time taking control — dominating the first set and never trailing in the match. VU's balanced attack, tough serving, and disciplined defense proved too much for the Blue Storm, as the match wrapped up in just over an hour.

Freshman Kenli Sullivan led the way with 12 kills and 13.5 total points to pace the offense. Freshman Paulina Krawczyk followed with 10 kills and five block assists, while sophomore Martyna Sadowska continued her strong late-season play with seven kills, 10 digs, six block assists, and 10 points. VU also received steady production from freshmen Taryn Thuis (three kills, five block assists) and Nicole De La Cruz (four kills, six block assists), while sophomore Rylee Edwards dished out 15 assists, added two service aces, and collected seven digs. Freshman Adaline Eisenmann anchored the back row with 15 digs, and freshman Scarlet Konkel added 10 assists and nine digs off the bench.

Head Coach Gary Sien, in his 10th season, said he was pleased with his team's focus and efficiency coming off a week-long layoff. "It was a very good match from beginning to end," Sien said. "We hadn't played since Monday, while other teams in the tournament had matches during the week, but our group came out sharp. We passed well, blocked well, and served tough right from the start. That first set really set the tone."

Sien credited his team's defensive execution as the foundation of the win. "Our defensive play was excellent," he said. "Adaline was terrific in the back row, and Allie Robinson made some key digs that came at big moments. We served aggressively to take Southwestern out of system, and that made our blocking much more effective. When we do that, we're really hard to score against."

The Trailblazers now turn their attention to Sunday's Region 24 Championship, where they'll meet #3 seed Lake Land College — a team that advanced with two wins earlier in the day, defeating #6 seed Frontier Community College (3–1) and #2 seed John A. Logan College (3–0). The two teams split their regular-season meetings, with VU winning 3–1 in Vincennes on September 2 and Lake Land taking a 3–0 victory in Mattoon on October 17.

VU, which has captured each of the last four Region 24 Tournament championships, will look to make it five straight titles and earn the right to host the NJCAA Midwest District A Championship next week. "Lake Land's a tough team and playing them on their home floor for a championship will be a challenge," Sien said. "But we're excited and ready for it. The goal all season has been to keep raising our level, and now we've got one more match to prove we belong at the top."

The Region 24 Championship is scheduled for Sunday, November 2, at 3:00 p.m. ET at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois.

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