SAN ANTONIO – No. 4 Trinity University Volleyball will play host to 10 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season matches between Friday and Sunday, four of which feature the Tigers in league rematches.
The Tigers (17-3, 8-0 SCAC) concluded the 2022 non-conference slate last weekend with the Trinity Invitational splitting matches with University of California-Santa Cruz, now ranked 24th in NCAA III, and Susquehanna University (PA). The loss to the west-coast Banana Slugs snapped the longest home winning streak in NCAA III at 43 matches.
Prior to the Trinity Invitational, the Tigers had won 11 straight matches including then-No. 2 Juniata College (PA) and then-No. 24 Colorado College, dropping just two sets during that time. The victory over the second-ranked Eagles completed a stretch of seven straight matches against nationally-ranked teams.
The SCAC has bestowed Player of the Week honors upon the Tigers six times this season, twice each for senior rightside Sarah Williammee (Denver, Colo. / East), both on offense, and senior middle blocker Emily Ellis (Georgetown, Texas / Georgetown), both on defense. The league also named one defensive selection a piece for junior middle blocker Maddie Fate (New York, N.Y. / Croton on Hudson) and first-year libero Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian). Rodriguez's selection was the first for a Tiger rookie since the 2018 campaign.
No. 4 Trinity Volleyball plays its first of four SCAC matches Friday at 1:15 p.m. against Austin College, followed by University of Dallas Friday night, Centenary College Saturday and Colorado College Sunday.
AVCA Rankings – Trinity Maintains Top-Five Streak, Lands at No. 4
Trinity's first slip-up since the East*West Classic in Atlanta in early September cost the Tigers just two spots in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association rankings, as the NCAA III coaches instead recognized UC-Santa Cruz with the 24th spot in the order.
Six teams on Trinity's 2022 schedule have remained in the national rankings. Region 10 rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (CA) has continued its undefeated start to the season to remain the top-ranked team in the country, followed immediately by Juniata in its return to the second spot.
No. 8 Berry College (GA), No. 11 Emory University (GA) and No. 12 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire join the three previously-mentioned ranked squads to form Trinity's six 2022 opponents still ranked by the AVCA. Three more 2022 opponents are listed as receiving votes in the latest poll: Transylvania University, Colorado College and Texas Lutheran University.
On top of the strong 2022 slate, six more teams ranked by the AVCA matched up with the Tigers during the 2021 campaign: No. 3 Calvin University (MI), No. 5 University of Northwestern (MN), No. 6 New York University, No. 19 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, No. 23 Babson College (MA) and No. 25 Tufts University (MA).
NCAA III Regional Rankings – First Week
As the 2022 regular-season campaign reaches the homestretch, the NCAA has announced the first set of regional rankings Wednesday for Region 10 which include Trinity. The first release of ranked teams in each region is not in order of rank, simply listed alphabetically. True rank order will be evaluated and released over each of the next two weeks leading up to the NCAA III tournament.
Alongside the nation's top two in the AVCA poll between the Tigers and Claremont-M-S, three other members of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (California Lutheran University, University of La Verne and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges), UC-Santa Cruz and the lone representative of the American Southwest Conference, University of Texas-Dallas.
Trinity has played 10 of the 70 teams listed in the first round of regional rankings in 2022.
Preview – SCAC Crossover
Trinity continues to expand its stranglehold on the NCAA III lead in team blocks per set, now back over three at 3.10 per set this season, more than a half a block per set over the next-highest in the country. Ellis and Fate continue to push the torrid pace as the second and fifth-ranked NCAA III players in the nation in the same category, at 1.45 and 1.33, respectively.
The Tigers also continue their climb in team hitting percentage, now 11th in NCAA III at .248 on the attack. Ellis also leads the team in this effort with a .399 season mark that ranks 10th in the nation, followed by both senior rightsides Sara Flynn (Seattle, Wash. / Roosevelt) and Williammee at .343 and .329, respectively.
On the Kangaroos: Austin College enters the weekend at 12-14 overall, 5-6 in conference, after snapping a five-match losing skid in a four-set victory in SCAC action against University of Dallas Tuesday night. Defensive specialist Chloe Miller ranks fourth in the SCAC in digs per set at 4.19 this season, 4.38 against SCAC opponents.
Trinity has a series record of 37-3 against the 'Roos since the start of the 1991 season, and have won 25 consecutive matchups since the 2011 season.
On the Crusaders: Dallas has won just one of its last 12 matches, defeating Centenary College in SCAC play on October 8. For the season, the Crusaders are 7-16, 1-10 in conference. Junior outside hitter Cassie Dyoub ranks fourth in the SCAC with 3.07 kills per set.
Since Dallas joined the SCAC in 2011, Trinity holds a 24-1 record over the Crusaders.
On the Ladies: Centenary is still seeking its first SCAC victory of the 2022 campaign entering this weekend's slate, 9-18 overall, but 2-8 in October. Senior libero Jaycie Proctor is second in the conference this season at 5.11 digs per set.
The Tigers have won all 22 matchups with the Ladies since the start of the 2012 season, two of those victories in Shreveport, Louisiana marked the 1,000th overall career victory and the 1,000th victory at Trinity for Head Coach Julie Jenkins.
On the other Tigers: Sunday's standalone match will be one of the more-anticipated matchups in league play this weekend as Colorado College is the second-highest team in the SCAC standings amongst the six programs present in San Antonio this weekend. The black-and-yellow Tigers are 13-6 this season, though haven't played since sweeping Southwestern University on October 8. Junior outside hitter Isabella Lipacis leads the SCAC, and ranks 15th in NCAA III in kills per set with a 4.04 clip through 19 matches.
Trinity holds a 24-19 series record against Colorado College since the start of the 1992 campaign, but have won the last three matchups.
Looking Ahead – Regular-Season Finish, SCAC Championship
A midweek rematch with Schreiner University next Wednesday concludes No. 4 Trinity Volleyball's seven-match homestand, then the final regular-season weekend will be hosted by Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, where the Tigers will battle University of St. Thomas, Southwestern University and the host Bulldogs.
The 2022 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship will be hosted by Colorado College November 4-5 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Six conference members will qualify for the event, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes.
