CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Wabash battled through two tightly contested sets but could not overcome Trine's offensive efficiency in a 3-0 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League loss Saturday afternoon at Chadwick Court.
The Little Giants (7-11, 4-3 MCVL), who entered the match one game back in fourth place in the league standings, fell by scores of 25-20, 25-21, 29-27 to the Thunder (16-8, 7-1 MCVL), who remained tied for first place in the conference.
The match featured 18 ties and 11 lead changes, with the final two sets showcasing extended back-and-forth play.
Trine hit .330 for the match with 45 kills, while Wabash totaled 35 kills and hit .159.
Wabash kept pace early in the opening set, trading points through the first several rotations. After falling behind 8-5, the Little Giants used a service ace from Christopher Board and a Trine error to close within 8-7. The teams exchanged sideouts before Trine began to separate, using a 5-1 run to turn a 12-9 lead into a 17-10 advantage.
The Little Giants responded with a late push, sparked by a Thang kill and another service ace to cut the deficit to 17-13. Wabash later trimmed the margin to 23-19 on a Thang kill, but Trine sided out on the next sequence and closed the set. The opener featured one tie and one lead change, with Trine hitting .500 compared to Wabash's .240.
The second set provided a more balanced contest from start to finish. Wabash opened with a 3-0 run behind a Matthew Stitle service ace and a Donaldson kill, forcing Trine to play from behind early. The Thunder answered with a 5-1 run to take a 6-4 lead before the Little Giants rallied again, tying the score at 7-7.
From there, neither team could create separation. The set featured eight ties, including deadlocks at 10-10, 12-12, 14-14, and 15-15. Wabash briefly regained the lead at 13-12 on a Greenwell service ace and again at 14-13, but Trine answered each time.
The decisive stretch came after the 15-15 tie, when Trine scored four of the next five points to move ahead 19-16. The Thunder extended the margin to 22-18 before Wabash made a final push behind kills from Donaldson to cut the lead to 24-21. Trine converted on the next opportunity to close out the set while hitting .448 with just two errors.
The third set delivered the most dramatic sequence of the match. Wabash surged ahead early, using back-to-back service aces from Patrick Volk and strong blocking at the net to build a 10-5 advantage. The Little Giants maintained momentum through the middle portion of the set, extending the lead to 17-12 and later 23-20 after a block from Volk and Donaldson.
Trine began its comeback with a three-point run to tie the set at 23-23, capitalizing on consecutive attack errors by Wabash. The teams traded points down the stretch, with Wabash fending off a match point to tie the score at 24-24. A Wolverton kill later gave the Little Giants a 25-24 edge, and Wabash again led at 26-25 following a block at the net.
However, Trine responded with poise, scoring the next two points to regain the lead before finishing the match on a 4-1 run. The Thunder sealed the victory with a service ace after a final extended rally, completing the sweep in a set that featured nine ties and five lead changes.
Shad Wilson led Wabash with nine kills, while Ben Donaldson added six kills on a .417 hitting percentage. Bawibawi Thang recorded seven kills and two blocks, and Jaden Greenwell contributed five kills and four block assists.
Matthew Stitle finished with 32 assists and four service aces, while Piotr Wolan anchored the defense with 23 digs. Christopher Board added seven digs for the Little Giants.
Wabash totaled 11 team blocks compared to 10 for Trine, but the Thunder's efficiency and late-set execution proved decisive.
Johnson Ho'okano-Pelekai led all players with 13 kills for Trine, while John Mikrut added 11 kills and Karl Both contributed seven kills and seven block assists.
Wabash closes out the regular season next week with home matches against Mount St. Joseph on Thursday and Wittenberg on Friday. Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. at Chadwick Court.
