Czerniak Powers Trojans Past Two RV Opponents

Volleyball | Sat, Sep. 10, 2022 at 2:55 PM
| by Jake Chipka

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The No. 18 Taylor Trojans (12-3, 1-0 CL) took the court on Saturday for day two of the 2022 Viterbo Tournament in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where Ryan Czerniak powered the Trojans to two match wins while accumulating 33 kills and maintaining a .500-plus hitting percentage throughout Taylor’s seven sets of play.

Such numbers are becoming somewhat unsurprising for Czerniak, though not any less impressive, as she now leads the entire NAIA with 231 kills and an absurd hitting percentage of .456 on the season.

Taylor’s senior right-side hitter posted 21 kills in just 32 attempts throughout TU’s first match win of the day over RV Dakota State (6-7), before adding 12 more in just 19 attempts during Taylor’s three-set sweep over RV Rocky Mountain (5-7).

Thanks in large part to Czerniak’s strong left arm, Trojan setter, Kacy Bragg, posted 45 assists in Taylor’s four-set win over Dakota State, averaging 11.25 assists-per-set.

Anna Frey contributed 12 kills of her own to Bragg’s assist total, all the while performing a season-best 22 digs in response to the Dakota State attack. As a team, Taylor was nothing short of stubborn in its defense against its opponent, as a trio of Trojans recorded 12 digs apiece alongside Frey’s 22, including senior, Karli Ware, who finished the match just one dig away from her career best.

Meanwhile, middle-hitter, Grace Ieremia, maintained a fierce presence in the Trojan front line, scoring at least four total blocks for the seventh time this season.

With all this cooking for the Trojans, Taylor managed to monopolize the lead for much of the match, especially the final two sets in which Dakota State not once managed to draw even, let alone taste a lead.

Taylor’s second opponent of the day came in the form of RV Rocky Mountain, of whom the Trojans made quick work in a three-set match sweep. Once again, the Taylor defense was sharp across the board, as the Trojans combined for 51 digs while only allowing a total of 22 Rocky Mountain kills.

Freshman, McKaylah Flagle, led the way with 10 digs, but four other Trojans posted six-or-more digs as well.

On the offensive end, Czerniak struck her 12 kills in 19 attempts while Frey and Ieremia were nearly just as dominate. Frey totaled eight kills in 16 attempts, while the TU middle hitter pounded four in just five attempts.

Meanwhile, Bragg quietly scored…