Trojans pull out four-game victory over C.P.

CHESTERTON | For one reason or another, the Chesterton volleyball team has struggled throughout the year at putting away a team in three games.

Luckily for the Trojans, the team is starting to learn how to come together and pull out a victory in four games.

Chesterton nearly got a dose of its own medicine after rallying to beat Valparaiso last week in five games, but the Trojans were able to hold off Crown Point with a 31-29, 25-14, 23-25, 25-16 win Tuesday night.

"I don't know what it is, but we keep letting teams get on a run," Chesterton senior Katie Urycki said. "That is one thing we need to work on and it's something we know we need to get better at."

The Trojans controlled much of the first game and held a 23-16 lead before the Bulldogs went on a furious rally to tie it at 24-24. The teams traded points over the next 10 serves before Chesterton pulled out a 31-29 win.

Chesterton looked dominant in the second game, riding an early double-digit lead to a 25-14 victory and it appeared the Trojans were going to coast to an easy Duneland Athletic Conference victory.

But Crown Point stayed composed in the third game, taking an 18-14 lead and then stopping a Chesterton comeback attempt with a 25-23 advantage.

"That's got to be at least the fifth or sixth time this year we've had a team 2-0 and we couldn't close it out," Chesterton coach TR Harlan said. "We're still learning how to win."

With the Bulldogs (13-9) not going away lightly, the Trojans continued to feed Urycki and Shelby Ruffner in the fourth game. Urycki finished with 18 kills and 23 digs while Ruffner added 11 kills and two blocks.

"I don't feel like we have any nervousness right now," Urycki said. "We have a lot of trust with each other. We are coming together at this point of the year."

The Trojans came out poised in the fourth game and wore down Crown Point with a 25-16 lead that improved Chesterton's record to 15-5 and 7-3 in the DAC.

"We're going to continue to get better," Harlan said. "The goal of everyone right now is the same. You want to play well, get to the sectional and then catch fire."