TIGERS TAKE DOWN TROLLS ON PAC RIM NIGHT

BOURBONNAIS, IL. - Olivet Nazarene University's men's volleyball team put on a show for a packed McHie Arena on Thursday night, defeating the Trinity Christian Trolls 3-1 in a thrilling Pacific Rim celebration match.

The opening set was all ONU from the start. Brody McAfee was on fire, putting down several powerful kills to establish an early lead. The Tigers' defense, anchored by libero James Ballance, shut down the Trolls' offense, forcing them into errors. ONU cruised to a comfortable 25-17 victory.

The second set proved to be a much tighter battle. The Tigers continued to hold the lead early on, but Trinity Christian slowly chipped away. Middle blocker Sterling Staranchuk provided a strong defensive presence at the net, but the Trolls found their rhythm and clawed their way back. A dramatic back-and-forth ensued, culminating in a heart-stopping 29-27 win for the Trolls.

However, the Tigers refused to be deterred. They stormed out of the gates in the third and fourth sets. Setter Tomas Gonzalez orchestrated a flawless offense, distributing the ball effectively to McAfee and Cade Ooms. The Tigers displayed incredible hustle and determination, shutting down any momentum Trinity tried to build. The final two sets were all ONU, with scores of 25-16 and 25-14, sealing the victory for the Tigers.

Looking Ahead

The Tigers won't have much time to celebrate before they hit the road for their next matchup. They'll travel to La Crosse, WI, to take on the Viterbo University V-Hawks in a conference clash on Mar. 9th. The game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CST.

--ONU—

*Contact Anyssa Hampton, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, ahampton@olivet.edu