Palos Heights, IL – The Stephens College volleyball team put together a strong weekend performance at the Trolls Classic, hosted by Trinity Christian College, earning two wins in four matches against a competitive field. The Stars faced tough opposition throughout the two-day tournament and finished with an 11-9 overall record after closing the weekend with back-to-back victories.
Match 1: Stars 0, Wildcats 3
The Stars opened play on Friday evening against nationally ranked Indiana Wesleyan, one of the top programs in the NAIA. Despite a competitive start, Stephens fell in straight sets (19-25, 16-25, 12-25) inside DeVos Gymnasium.
Stephens held its own early in the first set, trading points with the Wildcats before Indiana Wesleyan pulled away late behind a balanced attack. The Stars continued to battle in the second and third sets but were unable to slow down the Wildcats' offense, which hit .282 for the match.
Lena Hunziker led Stephens with five kills, while Amari Branch-Autman added four kills and a block assist. Setter Emma Whitson dished out 14 assists and collected 10 digs for a double-double, and libero Jatnna Peña Pérez anchored the defense with 10 digs.
Match 2: Stars 2, Maple Leafs 3
In their second match of the day, Stephens went the distance with Goshen College but came up just short in a five-set battle (17-25, 25-18, 25-21, 19-25, 10-15).
After dropping the opening set, the Stars regrouped quickly and took control of the next two frames with efficient attacking and solid defense. Goshen responded in the fourth to even the match, and despite Stephens' late push in the fifth set, the Maple Leafs held on for the narrow win.
Lena Hunziker led the Stars with 15 kills on a .303 hitting percentage, while Michalina Oles added 12 kills and six digs. Whitson directed the offense with 34 assists and 13 digs, while Branch-Autman finished with nine kills and two solo blocks. Peña Pérez led the back row with 17 digs, and Syerra Mitchell added two service aces.
Stephens finished with 46 kills and 50 digs as a team but was edged in key late-set points down the stretch.
Match 3: Stars 3, Fighting Saints 0
The Stars opened Saturday's action with a dominant sweep over the University of St. Francis (25-18, 25-13, 25-20), earning their 10th win of the season.
Stephens controlled the match from start to finish, hitting .271 as a team while limiting St. Francis to just .108. After taking the first set, the Stars extended their lead with strong serving and efficient attacking before closing out the sweep in the third.
Hunzkier led the way once again with 14 kills on a .286 hitting percentage to go along with three aces. Branch-Autman added eight kills and four blocks, while Izar hit .500 with six kills. Whitson posted 30 assists, three aces, and seven digs, and Peña Pérez recorded a match-high 28 digs to anchor the defense.
Match 4: Stars 3, Trolls 2
Stephens capped off the tournament with an impressive comeback victory over host Trinity Christian College, rallying from two sets down to win 3-2 (17-25, 17-25, 25-13, 25-23, 15-9).
After a slow start, the Stars flipped the momentum in the third set with a .393 hitting percentage and carried that energy into the final two frames. Stephens' balanced offense and steady defense secured the reverse sweep and their second win of the day.
Branch-Autman led the way with 16 kills on .448 hitting, while Hunziker added 14 kills and three blocks. Izar contributed nine kills on a .412 clip, and Whitson tallied 37 assists and eight digs. Peña Pérez turned in another strong defensive performance with 27 digs as the Stars totaled 60 as a team.
Stephens finished the Trolls Classic with a 2-2 record, showing resilience and growth throughout the weekend. The Stars return to action next week as they resume conference play, looking to build on their strong finish in Illinois. They will play Hannibal-LaGrange in Hannibal, MO on Tuesday, October 7th at 6:00 PM.
