The Trojan volleyball team hosted the Kuemper Catholic Knights on Thursday, just two days after they broke the eight-year conference curse against Creston. The Knights boasted a record of 23-2, their only losses coming from Spirit Lake and Harlan, which was a non-conference game. Kuemper Catholic was ranked #7 in class 3A by the IGHSAU. 

Last year, the Knights won the 3A state championship, finishing the season with just one loss. This season, Kuemper is rebuilding as they lost some heavy hitters. At the same time, they are atop the conference standings.

In the first set, Kuemper raced out ahead of Atlantic on service errors. While the Trojans hung with their competitors, they lost the first set, 25-17.

Following the first set loss, the Trojans counted on their strong defense to limit Kuemper’s power hitting. While the girls did a good job of keeping the ball off the floor, the opposition claimed the second set, 25-15. 

Down 2-0, the Trojans upped the ante in the front row, putting down more kills against the Knights. Still, they ran out of real estate and Kuemper Catholic cruised to their eighth conference victory. 

The girls had 31 digs against the Knights. Every player that stepped onto the court claimed at least one dig in the match. 

Next up in conference play for the Trojans is Denison-Schleswig on Tuesday.