No.11 Tiger Volleyball heads to Kerrville to continue their Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) schedule, as they take on Colorado College and Schreiner.
The Tigers (24-3, 13-0 SCAC) would remain undefeated in SCAC play after claiming victories over the University of Dallas, Austin College, and Centenary College. The Tigers dominantly swept Centenary and Dallas, and prevailed in five sets against Austin College. Senior
Mackenzie Logan (Calgary, Canada / Bishop Carroll) would have another outstanding weekend, collecting 44 kills across the three matches. The Tiger defense held all three teams to under .250 hitting percentage, even holding Centenary College to a -.111 hitting percentage.
AVCA Rankings - Tigers at 11
After their wins, the Tigers remain in the 11th-ranked spot nationally by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The top two spots remain the same, with Juniata staying in the top stop and Wisconsin-Oshkosh staying at number two.
SCAC Player of the Week - Mackenzie Logan, Offensive
For the second week in a row, senior
Mackenzie Logan has been selected as the SCAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Logan led the Tigers to another 3-0 weekend in SCAC play, keeping Trinity at the top of the conference standings. Logan averaged 4.50 kills per set and hit .340 over the weekend. She finished with a .548 hitting percentage in the three-set win over Dallas, setting her new season-high in hitting percentage for a single match. Logan also tied her career-best mark with 21 kills in the win over Austin College later that day.
Preview - Kerrville "Krossover"
The Tigers will take a short road trip to Kerrville on Saturday to take on Colorado College at 1:00 PM and then Schreiner University at 4:00 PM.
On the Colorado Tigers: Colorado holds a 14-10 (10-4 SCAC) record in the 2023 regular season. During the SCAC crossover hosted by Centenary College, Colorado swept the University of Dallas and Centenary, and defeated Austin College in five sets. During their previous matchup, the Tigers reverse-swept Colorado for a thrilling 3-2 victory. Fifth-year
Brette Thornton (Rockwall, Texas / Rockwall) had a huge match, collecting 10 kills on a .320 clip. The Tigers will look to stop Isabella Lipacis, who didn't play in the first matchup between the two schools, as well as Carolyn Dormady, the leading kill leader for Colorado.
On the Schreiner Mountaineers: The Mountaineers are 18-9 (8-5 SCAC) so far in the 2023 season. During the crossover at Centenary, the Mountaineers defeated Dallas and Centenary but fell to Austin College in four sets. The Tigers and Mountaineers have not played one another yet this season. During their 2022 matchups, the Tigers swept the Mountaineers on both occasions and held the Mountaineers to less than .100 hitting percentage in five of the six sets played. This year, the Tigers will look to slow down first-year Gianna Hillard, who leads the Mountaineers with 280 kills.
Key Matchups
Lipacis Back In the Lineup: During their last matchup, Colorado was without outside hitter Isabella Lipacis. During the games in 2022, Lipacis carried the bulk of the Colorado kills with 21 and 15. However, those kills would not make a difference as the Tigers would sweep the first match and win in four in the next. Lipacis will get plenty of attempts in this next match, but the Tiger block will be sure to give her a run for her money.
Young Hitter vs Tiger Block: The first-year outside hitter for the Mountaineers, Gianna Hillard, has emerged as an issue for other teams this season. Hilliard ranks fifth in the SCAC in kills so far. However, the Tiger block is ranked top 20 nationally in blocks per set. The Tigers amassed 22 blocks across six sets in the two matches last year. The Tigers also held the Mountaineers to a 0.06 hitting percentage between both games last year. The young first-year will be tested against a tough Tiger block.
Looking Ahead - Closing Out The Regular Season
After the crossover in Kerrville, the Tigers will go back to play against Schreiner in a single match to conclude the regular season. The match will take place on Thursday, November 2nd.
