HOUSTON - No. 22 Tiger Volleyball opens up their weekend in Houston with two victories.
The Tigers (12-6, 5-1 SCAC) capped off the day with two wins, defeating St. Thomas in four sets and Austin College in five.
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) led the team in digs, with a resounding 55 on the day.
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) contributed 28 total kills, while
Mackenzie Logan (Calgary, Canada / Bishop Carroll) led Trinity's offense with 31.
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, Calif. / Viewpoint) put in 27 assists in both games, bringing her season total to 384. As a team, the Tigers totaled 19 blocks and 15 service aces. The Tigers now sit in third place in the gold division standings, just one win behind second-place Texas Lutheran.
Game One - Trinity 3, St. Thomas 1
The first set started off close, with both teams attacking early. The Celts continued to apply pressure, but the Tigers didn't give in, cutting the point deficit from 5 to 3, leading UST to call a timeout. The Tigers ultimately couldn't catch up to UST's lead, dropping the first set 20-25.
The Tigers bounced back with a dominant 7-0 run to open up the second set with kills by Fate (her first of four this set) and Pope, respectively. Trinity continued to hold their lead with assertion. A kill by Pope secured the Tigers a 25-18 win in the second set.
Unlike the second set, the third was close from the beginning, with both teams going back and forth. Soon the Tigers found their stride, with
Jozie Dhayer (Houston, TX / Summer Creek) contributing two aces to put the Tigers on a four point run. Following this, the Tigers were able to hold their lead for the majority of the set. Despite the Celts' efforts to come back, Trinity put UST away 25-17.
Seeking to walk away with the win, the Tigers carried their momentum from the previous two into a close battle for the fourth set. Not wanting to lose on their home court, the Celts fought to compete against the hot Tigers. Trailing 15-21, the Celts called a timeout in an attempt to stay in the game. Pope continued to have a successful day, recording her fourth kill of the set to end the game. The Tigers took the game with a resounding 25-19 win over St. Thomas.
Game Two - Trinity 3, Austin College 2
Austin College were hot out of the gate in set one getting a 4-1 lead. However,The Tigers came back and tied it up. AC stormed however, scoring the next four points and going up 8-4. Trinity took its first lead of the match after going on an 8-2 run. Just one point later,
Courtney Pope put a ball on the floor and the Tigers slammed on the gas, scoring five straight points and extending their lead to 20-14. After two points by AC, the good guys scored on the next four balls and finished off the set 25-17.
Set two was a back-and-forth battle between both teams. Even after Austin College took an 8-5 lead, the Tigers quickly closed the gap, tying the score at 10 later in the set. After trading a few more points, the scoreboard read 17-all. The Roos then went on an impressive five-point run, putting them within reach of victory. However, Trinity responded with six consecutive points, bringing the score to 24-22. AC then answered with a 5-1 run of their own, winning the set 27-25.
Trinity took that loss to heart and came out strong in set three. After initially taking a 7-6 lead, TU scored four consecutive points to stretch their advantage to 11-6. Later, an Austin College hitting error sparked a 5-1 run in favor of Trinity. As both teams exchanged points throughout the set, the Tiger defense forced not only a service error but also a set-ending hitting mistake, clinching the set for the maroon and white with a score of 25-18.
The Roos scored the first six points to start the fourth set. The Tigers fought back, cutting the lead to two points. However, Austin College went on several scoring runs during the set, extending their lead to 21-12. Trinity nearly staged a comeback by scoring six consecutive points, bringing the set back within reach. Despite their efforts, the Kangaroo lead proved too substantial, and they ultimately won set four 25-20.
Set five followed the same pattern as the rest of the match, with Trinity taking the lead and the Roos fighting to tie it up. The Tigers jumped out to a solid 8-3 advantage. After switching sides, Austin College battled back to tie the game at 11 and even took the lead on the next play. Once again, the Tiger block intimidated hitters more than Michael Myers on Halloween night, leading to two hitting errors from AC. With the score at 13-12, the Tigers were poised to win the match. The final two points were electric and were capped off by the two super seniors. With the score at 13-12, the AC outside hitter launched a shot she thought would hit the floor, but the ball met the blocking hands of Logan and Fate, who sent it right back. The Tigers took a 14-12 lead. DeRivel then found a leaping Logan, who pushed the ball off the block for the final points. The Tigers won 15-12.
Up Next
The Tigers will play against the other Tigers of Colorado College tomorrow at noon.
