EDWARDSVILLE - The Trinity Lutheran Middle School Girls Volleyball team had a season to remember this fall and finished with a second-place result at the Lutheran State Tournament.
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Edwardsville Trinity Lutheran Middle School Girls Volleyball team completed a historic season by finishing second in the Lutheran State Volleyball Tournament. Trinity Edwardsville finished the 2021 season with a record of 34-2, winning 80 of the 87 sets they played, and making only the third trip to the volleyball state championship game in school history.
The 2021 Eagles squad members were: Emma Gusewelle, Isla Hurtte, Kate Haislar, Sarah Haislar, Tahlea Heard, Annika Jenkins, Avery Johnson, Lainey McFarlin, Alyssa Niemann, Avery Simaytis and Avery Wampler.
Facing Christ Peoria for the second time this season, Trinity Lutheran couldn’t hold onto late leads in a very competitive match, losing in straight sets, 20-25, 25-27. Peoria held the Eagles to just five aces in the match, a tournament-low. A 6-point serving run by Avery Wampler extended a second set lead for the Eagles that they could not hold onto. The Eagles relied on their defense and strategic passing to balance out the match and keep it close. Lainey McFarlin led the team with 63 on-target passes, Avery Johnson-41, Annika Jenkins-36 and Avery Simaytis-27 all helped keep the pressure on Peoria. McFarlin led the team with 10 kills.
After making it to the Elite 8, Edwardsville defeated Rockford Lutheran in straight sets, 25-16, 25-14 to advance to the State Semi-Finals against Trinity Bloomington. Against Rockford, Johnson, led the team with 10 kills, 3 Aces, Simaytis 6 kills, 2 Aces and McFarlin 5 kills rounding out the offensive side.
In the semi-final match, the Eagles overcame Trinity Bloomington; 25-8, 22-25, 25-14. Leading the Eagles was McFarlin with 11 Aces, 7 kills, Johnson with 4 Aces, 4 kills and Simaytis with 11 kills. Annika Jenkins and Avery Wampler each added 2 Aces in the match. Serving was the difference for Edwardsville, In the first set, McFarlin held serve for 10 points. In the second set, it was Johnson’s 10 point serving run that kept the set close before Bloomington pulled it out. In the third set, McFarlin-8 and Jenkins-7 point serving runs helped the Eagles build a lead they would not give up, to advance to the State Championship Match.
During the 3-day tournament, Edwardsville Trinity was led in serving by McFarlin’s 28 Aces and Wampler’s 25. Offensively, McFarlin led the team with 49 kills, followed by Simaytis-39 and Johnson-36. Defensively McFarlin put 299 passes on-target, Jenkins-229 and Johnson-193
McFarlin and Wampler were named to the All-State team.
Losing only to Christ Peoria this season, the Eagles defeated the Missouri State Champion, St. Charles Immanuel, to win the Good Shepherd Collinsville Tournament and the Missouri State Runner-Up, Christ Community, Kirkwood to win the Belleville Holly Reeb Invitational. Trinity also won The Lutheran Conference Tournament and finished with an undefeated conference record to win the regular-season title.
The Eagles are coached by Charles McFarlin and assisted by Laura Wampler.
