Trinity Lutheran celebrated 8th Grade Night on Tuesday by dominating visiting St. Peter. Trinity swept the 8th grade match even with just two 8th graders and a 5th grade single setter, 25-25-19, 26-24. They swept the 7th grade match even with just three 7th graders and a 4th grade single setter, 25-19, 25-9. They even split the 5th-6th grade match with just two 5th graders, one 4th grader and three 3rd graders, 25-13, 25-27.

Since 1868, Trinity Lutheran School in Stewardson has been educating grade school students and, in the tradition of the one room school house, Coach Kathryn Kirby has the volleyball program firing on all cylinders. Trinity’s Little House On The Prairie volleyball program has 3rd and 4th graders, not just learning the sport in the same room watching, but playing with the 7th and 8th graders. And, they are winning.

This season, the 7th grade Cardinal team and the 8th grade Cardinal team are both undefeated, even with their roster sporting players that would not even be playing for three years at other schools.

Where else in Shelby County can you play competitive volleyball in 3rd grade? Nowhere. Where else in Shelby County can a 4th grader be the single setter for a 7th grade team? Nowhere.

Part of the reason the younger players get the opportunity is that Trinity doesn’t have the numbers to field a full 8th grade or 7th grade team. Trinity can’t be in the IESA like other middle schools, because they have rules against players that young playing up.

So, Trinity is in the Southern Illinois Junior High School Athletic Association (SIJHSAA), the Lutheran Sports Association, and plays other small private schools. Trinity’s 8th grade team finished in the Elite Eight last fall in the LSA and is getting ready for the SIJHSAA Regional (8th grade only). They hope to advance to the SIJHSAA State Tournament in Herrin on March 27.

Trinity is in the S (Small) Class Region VII Regional at Selmaville on March 22. It is an 8-team regional that includes Altamont, last year’s IESA State 4th place finisher. Altamont was beaten by Stew-Stras in the Stew-Stras 8-2A IESA regional final.

Trinity hasn’t played Altamont this season, but they have played other IESA teams and beaten them all. Trinity swept Cowden-Herrick, Beecher City and Altamont Lutheran.

On Tuesday in Trinity’s 5th-6th grade, C game, the team leader at the service line was 3rd grader Calla Roney. Roney served up 13 points, with a team-high 7 aces. The other double-digit server was 6th grader Amber Caudill (10 points, 5 aces), followed by 5th grader Olivia Gratz with 9 points, 4 aces. Two other 3rd graders, Jocelyn Schultz and Megan Schlechte had 7 points, 2 aces, and 6 points, 2 aces, respectively.

In the bump, set, bump style of play, nobody on the Trinity team recorded a kill. However, their consistent play, and well-oiled teamwork was successful.

In the 7th grade Trinity win on Tuesday, the team leader from the line was the 4th grade single setter Robin Teague. Teague served 14 points with a team-high six aces. She was followed in double figures by 7th grader Anne Jesgarz with 11 points, 3 aces and 5th grader Rebecca Schlechte with 11 points, 4 aces. Teague’s older sister, Raven (6th grade), was the team’s kill-leader recording four kills.

In the 7th grade contest, the Cardinals rose above bump, set, bump and took some swings on offense. The Cardinals recorded 14 kills in the 2-game set, even balanced between five players. Raven Teague had four, Kendall Knop (Lutheran School All-Stater) had three kills, Jesgarz three kills, Becca Schlechte two kills, and Rachel Schultz two kills.

In the 8th grade contest, the only two 8th graders on the roster, Elizabeth Gratz and Samantha Hammack, joined the 7th grade team. After their 8th Grade Night recognition, Gratz was the net threat in the win, swinging for a team-high six kills. Two of the 7th graders, Rachel Schultz and Jesgarz, led at the line as double-digit performers. Schultz led with 17 points, four aces, while Jesgarz served up 11 points, three aces.

In the prime-time 8th grade contest

on Tuesday, Trinity cruised to a 6-point game 1 win, with the help of an early 8- point service run by Rachel Schultz. They won game 2 with the help of four comebacks to win in OT and avoid a rubber game.

Down 2-0, Schultz came to the line. Kendall Knop swung for a kill, followed by a Elizabeth Gratz kill. Knop tipped for a 4-2 lead and at 7-2 St. Peter had to call time-out. After the pause, Gratz swung for another kill. St. Peter cut it to 8-6, but after a side-out, Becca Schlechte served an ace for a 10-6 lead.

At 10-8, Gratz went to the line and served three consecutive aces. St. Peter called another time-out. At 17-10, Knop served hard and the receive ricocheted to the rafters. She then jump-served for her second straight ace that caromed to the ceiling.

St. Peter chipped away and got within six, at 22-16. But, Gratz swung for the kill. St. Peter then cut the lead to five at 24-19, but missed a kill to cap game 1.

St. Peter went out to a 4-0 lead. before Jesgarz got a kill, Gratz got a kill, Jesgarz served a net ace and a ricochet ace to tie the game, 4-4. St. Peter led 6-4, but Gratz killed again and Trinity tied it at 6-6. St. Peter led 8-6, then Gratz killed for another Cardinal side-out. She killed again for a 9-8 lead.

St. Peters went up 10-9, but Knop ka-boomed a kill that caromed off an opponent to the ceiling for an 11-10 lead. St. Peter broke a 12-12 tie with a 5-points run to lead 17-12. Down 19-15, Trinity had to call a time-out. The time-out worked and Trinity broke serve.

Jesgarz served a 6-point run to reclaim the lead. Schultz hit a cross-court kill at 17-19, and again for he 20-19 lead, precipitating a St. Peter time-out. St. Peter reclaimed the lead at 22-21 and Trinity had to call another time-out. It didn’t help this time and St. Peter served to game point, 24-21.

Trinity went on their final, game-winning comeback. Schultz got the serve after a service error and served up an ace, 24-23. St. Peter called time. Trinity tied the game 24-24, then Schultz served back-to-back ricochet aces for the match.

A Game (8th Grade)

Trinity def. St. Peter’s 25-19, 26-24

Trinity stats: Rachel Schultz (7th) 17 points, 4 aces, 4 kills; Anne Jesgarz (8th) 11 points, 3 aces, 1 kill; Elizabeth Gratz (8th) 8 points, 4 aces, 6 kills; Rebecca Schlechte (5th) 6 points, 1 ace; Kendall Knop (7th) 4 points, 2 aces, 3 kills; Raven Teague (6th) 3 points; Samantha Hammack (8th) 2 points.

B Game (7th Grade)

Trinity def. St. Peter’s, 25-19, 25-9

Trinity stats: Robin Teague (4th) 14 points, 6 aces; Schultz 11 points, 4 aces, 2 kills; Jesgarz 11 points, 3 aces, 3 kills; Raven Teague 7 points, 1 ace, 4 kills; Knop 4 points, 1 ace, 3 kills; Schlechte 2 points, 2 kills; Amber Caudill (6th) 1 point.

C Game (5th-6th)

Trinity split with St. Peter’s, 25-13, 25-27

Trinity stats: Calla Roney (3rd) 13 points, 7 aces; Caudill 10 points, 5 aces; Olivia Gratz (5th) 9 points, 4 aces; Jocelyn Schultz (3rd) 7 points, 2 aces; Megan Schlechte (3rd) 6 points, 2 aces; Ro. Teague 4 points; R. Schlechte 1 point

Trinity Roster: 8th-Elizabeth Gratz 23, Samantha Hammack 21; 7th-Anne Jesgarz 1, Kendall Knop 10, Rachel Schultz 14, 6th-Amber Caudill 24, Raven Teague 15; 5th-Olivia Gratz 8, Rebecca Schlechte 3, 4th-Robin Teague 12, 3rd-Calla Roney 20, Megan Schlechte 16, Jocelyn Schultz

*Watch for web updates and the Daily Union Thursday print edition for the complete story, stats, and photos.