PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. — Olivet Nazarene (IL) (9-11, 2-3) secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Trinity Christian (IL) (3-9, 1-4) on Tuesday evening at DeVos Gym, with set scores of 27-25, 25-22, and 25-18. The win was highlighted by a strong team attack percentage of .238.

The first set began with Olivet taking an early lead, thanks to a kill by Joe Akeo assisted by Tomas Gonzalez. As the set progressed, Trinity Christian capitalized on the Tigers' errors, pulling ahead to a 10-7 advantage, prompting a timeout by the visitors. Olivet responded with a series of kills from Cade Ooms and Cameron Johnston, tying the score at 19-19 on a service ace by Johnston. The set remained tightly contested, reaching 24-24, until Ooms delivered a crucial kill to regain the lead. A service ace by Ooms ultimately secured the set for the Tigers, 27-25.

Olivet took control early in the second set, establishing a commanding 7-0 lead highlighted by kills from Ooms and Akeo, alongside multiple attack errors from the host team. Despite a brief rally from Trinity, with effective plays by Juvantae Thompson and Sam Cain, the visitors maintained their momentum. Johnston and Ben Kreke consistently contributed to extending the lead, with Johnston's kill making it 18-11. Trinity Christian narrowed the gap to 24-22 with a late surge, featuring a service ace from Thompson, but Olivet secured the set, 25-22, on a final kill by Nic VanOort.

Olivet capitalized on multiple service errors by the Trolls early in the third set, building momentum with a 6-2 lead. Ooms and Akeo each contributed key kills, with Gonzalez providing several assists, to extend the lead. Trinity called a timeout when Olivet stretched their advantage to 13-5, but the visitors continued their strong play, highlighted by a service ace from Tyler Van Laten. Despite a late push from the home team, the Tigers secured the set with a 25-18 victory, ending on an attack error by Thompson.

Ooms led the team's attack with 12 kills on 26 attempts, adding 10 digs to his performance. Gonzalez facilitated the offensive play by recording 32 assists and contributing nine digs. Kreke was effective on the attack, finishing with eight kills and a .385 hitting percentage. Akeo showed efficiency with six kills on nine attempts, achieving a .667 hitting percentage.

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