Perryman tallies 15 blocks; Garden City rolls Trinidad State in four

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Garden City, KS-What a resounding start to the 2022 season for Garden City. 

Kate Perryman was spectacular in the night cap, posting 15 blocks and eight kills, Jelena Milovanovic added 10 kills, and the Broncbusters toppled Trinidad State in four sets 23-25, 25-19, 25-11, and 25-16 Friday at Conestoga Arena.

"We didn't start well," Head Coach Patrick Hiltz said. "We came out really blah. So, I really challenged the girls to give the crowd something to cheer about."

It wasn't the start the veteran coach envisioned. His team trailed by as many as eight in the first set before crawling back to tie it at 22. But the Trojans rattled off three of the final four points to take the opening frame.  

"The girls just had to figure some things out," Hiltz added.

It also helped that Perryman was everywhere. The freshman aided in a decisive 8-0 run that changed the match in the second set. Emmah Sultz set her up for one emphatic spike before another kill gave the Broncbusters a 22-17 advantage. Then it was Apolline Lepuissant's attack followed by a Trinidad State hitting error that finished off the set.

"It's really fun to play with your best friends," Perryman said afterwards. "It was really humbling going from a Division-I school to a Junior College, but I couldn't be happier with my decision."

The transfer from Air Force, who has dealt with a myriad of injuries over the past couple of seasons, looked as energetic as ever. She powered a spike down the middle early in the third before teaming up with Hannah Brandt for a double block that gave Garden City a 6-4 edge. She added another stop at the net, and Tola Maczka dropped in a service ace to cap off a 9-2 surge that gave the home team an 18-8 lead. In fact, Garden City scored 15 of the final 20 points of the set.

"I love this team because they are so much fun to coach," Hiltz said."

Garden City wasted no time storming out to an 11-4 advantage in the fourth. After the Trojans closed the gap to three, Lepuissant fired back with a kill, Perryman added a spike and a block before her kill ended the match, giving Hiltz his second 2-0 start in the past three seasons. 

Ozge Yavuz added 12 blocks for Garden City, which posted 39 as a team.