CROTHERSVILLE

The Class A No. 5 Trinity Lutheran volleyball team doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.

Sweeping Jackson County and Sectional 62 foe Crothersville on Tuesday 25-16, 25-6, 26-8, the Cougars moved to 15-8 on the season. The win marked the eighth straight for the Cougars, who haven’t lost a match since Sept. 4.

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Trinity also has won 21 straight sets since losing to Class 3A No. 5 Brownstown Central.

The teams stayed within four points in the first set until a kill by Trinity’s Kennedy Hoffman spurred a 5-0 run, which put the Cougars up 17-10.

Down 22-12, the Tigers’ Maddie Riley served up four straight winning points to force a timeout by Trinity. The Cougars then got back on track by taking the next three points to close the first at 25-16.

Crothersville coach Kourtney Settle said the team had a strong start to the match.

“I was really impressed with them in the first,” she said. “I told them that was the best I had seen them play all year. They were communicating and picked balls up they don’t normally pick up. Trinity has a team full of good hitters, so it was a big accomplishment for them.”

The Cougars found their footing the rest of the way.

Trinity opened the second set on an 8-2 run before building a 17-4 advantage. The team continued to keep its foot on the gas, winning eight of the final nine points to win it 25-6.

Crothersville continued to struggle with the Cougars’ front line and serving in the third set.

Bailey Reynolds served up 18 straight winning points to put the Cougars up 18-3. Trinity met little resistance the rest of the way, closing it at 25-8.

Abby Schult was 22-for-26 with 17 kills in hits, while teammate Hannah Sabotin went 22-for-24 with 18 kills. Kamzi Gross had 10 digs for the Cougars.

Reynolds led the Cougars with 33 assists and six aces. On serves by Reynolds, Trinity won 21 total points.

Trinity coach Faith Wilder-Newland said the team finished the second and third sets strong after a slow start.

“It was kind of sloppy (in the first set),” she said. “We were too tight. I think our ball control picked up and we communicated better as it went on. I think the hitters were trying to hit too hard and were not getting their elbows up. After that, I thought we played better.”

Crothersville finished with just six total kills and three blocks on the night.

“The second and third (sets), we had more errors,” Settle said. “My block wasn’t really there tonight. Normally, we get some better touches on it. I think that was an area of weakness.”

Mariyah Kelshaw and Maddie Riley each had five digs for the Tigers. The Tigers didn’t have any aces.

The Tigers and Cougars could meet again in sectional play, which commences the week of Oct. 8 at West Washington Junior-Senior High School.

Trinity will host Hauser on Thursday and Crothersville goes to Henryville on Monday. The Cougars’ annual invitational will be Saturday.

“Hauser is a good team with a good history,” Wilder-Newland said. “They are usually pretty scrappy. I think we showed that after the first set (against Crothersville). We want to keep that intensity.”