HOUSTON - No. 22 Tiger Volleyball wins their final match of the SCAC crossover to Colorado College.
 
The Tigers (13-6, 6-1 SCAC) defeated the other Tigers in four sets. Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) led Trinity offensively with a career-high 12 kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Defensively, Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) had another stellar day, collecting 19 digs in four sets. Setters Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) and Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, California / Viewpoint) combined for 38 assists, DeRivel with 21 and Dhayer with 17. Maddie Fate (New York, New York / Croton Harmon) was a tower in front of the net as she was a blocking machine. As a team, the Tigers hit at a .232 clip, had seven total aces and 16 total blocks.
 
The Rundown
 
Mackenzie Logan (Calgary, Canada / Bishop Carroll) put the Tigers on the board with a powerful shot. A moment later, Trinity scored four consecutive points, highlighted by two aces from DeRivel. Both teams exchanged points, but CC gained momentum with three points in a row, bringing the score to 11-10. Colorado tried to tie the match but couldn't gain the upper hand. The two most crucial points of the set came from a kill by McWilliams and another ace by DeRivel, making the score 22-18. The Tigers then scored three of the next four points, winning the first set 25-19.
 
Both teams must have felt like they were at a baseball game during set two, as there were plenty of runs. After Trinity took an early 3-1 lead, CC went on a run to claim a 4-3 advantage. The teams traded points for a while until Trinity scored three in a row to regain the lead at 9-7. After Colorado College scored again, Trinity surged with a dominant 10-2 run, extending the score to 19-10. It seemed the set was all but over, but Colorado rallied with a 5-1 run, making the score 23-18. However, the Tigers weren't fazed, finishing off the next two points to win the set 25-18.
 
The fourth set saw CC jump out to a 6-2 lead. Later on in the set, Colorado extended their lead to 12-7 after they scored four-straight points. Even with the Tigers fighting hard and going on big runs of their own, Colorado College eventually won the set 25-20.
 
Coach Julie Jenkins gave her team a pep talk between sets, and Trinity was determined to show Colorado who the real Tigers were. Fate started the set with a block, followed by a kill from McWilliams, giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead. Colorado quickly tied it up, but Trinity responded with a strong 5-1 run, extending their lead to four points. After a kill from a Colorado hitter, the black and gold looked to build on their momentum. However, McWilliams had other ideas. She delivered a powerful shot that ignited another four-point run for the Tigers, increasing their lead further. With the score at 20-11, Trinity seemed poised to close out the match, but Colorado stunned them with a six-point rally, tightening the score to 22-20. A service error from Colorado squandered their chance, and Fate followed up with another block, putting the match just one point away. On the next play, the Colorado hitter, seeing Fate jump again, panicked—like someone dropping their phone—hitting the ball out and giving Trinity the set, 25-20.
 
Up Next
 
The Tigers will return home to Calgaard Gymnasium to face Schreiner on October 17th.