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Chiefs outlast Trojans
Fairfield volleyball team can’t put away Keokuk in SEC clash
FAIRFIELD — A 2-0 Southeast Conference start was awaiting the Fairfield volleyball team on Tuesday night, but the Trojans just couldn’t quite get there in a league clash with Keokuk.
Fairfield found itself battling back in sets all night long. The Trojans were able to do so for two of the five sets, but Keokuk had too much in the end, winning in five sets. (23-25, 26-24, 19-25, 27-25, 15-5).
“We did find ourselves digging out of holes early,” said Fairfield head coach Vicki Rebling. “We never could get started right away in any set tonight, which is not like us at all.”
Fairfield didn’t waiver after an early deficit in the first set. The Trojans rallied from trailing midway through the set to tie the game at 22-22, and eventually pulled away for the 25-23 win when Rowan Terrell’s game-winning kill skimmed off a Keokuk finger and out.
The Trojans nearly pulled a huge comeback after trailing 9-2 in the first set. The Trojans once again outplayed the Chiefs toward the end, but Keokuk was able to respond to going down one, at 24-23, by scoring the last three points of the set to win 26-24.
Fairfield’s best set of the night was the fourth, in which the Trojans controlled the set to win 25-19. Lilly Bergren dominated in the third set, putting up seven kills to lead the way.
The real heartbreaker came in the fourth set. The Trojans were down three points late, but a six-kill set by Terrell helped Fairfield hang with the Chiefs. Down 24-23, Savannah Hollander saved a ball that turned into a Bergren kill, and things were knotted up at 24-24.
“We've got a strong hitting lineup,” Rebling said. “A lot of girls have a lot of confidence and Maddie (Jones) does a great job distributing sets to all of our hitters.”
Unfortunately for the Trojans, it was Keokuk that found the fire late. The Chiefs closed the set out with the final two points, and then dominated the fifth set to take the Trojans out on their home court.
Bergren finished the night with 20 kills and two aces. Terrell had 15 kills.
Fairfield is now 2-3 on the year. The Trojans are 1-1 in conference play. The Trojans’ next game will be one of the biggest of the year, when they head to Washington (4-10, 1-1).
