No. 21 Tiger Volleyball returns to Calgaard Gymnasium to take on Schreiner and Texas Lutheran this weekend.
The Tigers (13-6, 6-1 SCAC) won all three matches during their SCAC crossover trip to Houston.
Mackenzie Logan (Calgary, Canada / Bishop Caroll) led Trinity offensively with 39 total kills.
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) also had a solid weekend, collecting 37 total kills.
Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) had a career-high 12 kills in Trinity's big win against Colorado College.
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) was over the court as she had 74 total digs, including 28 digs against Austin College. As a team, the Tigers rank 9th national in blocks per set (2.43) and 3rd in team total blocks (185).
SCAC Setter of the Week - Kendall DeRivel
For the first time in her career, sophomore
Kendall DeRivel was selected as the SCAC Setter of the Week.
From the SCAC Press Release:
DeRivel was getting assists left and right in the Tigers' wins against St. Thomas, Austin College, and Colorado College this weekend. DeRivel totaled 75 assists across the three matches (5.77 assists per set). In the matches against St. Thomas and Austin College, Kendall had 27 assists in each match. To go along with her excellent setting, Kendall also added eight services aces. DeRivel is now fourth in the SCAC in assists per set (5.30) and second in service aces per set (0.51).
AVCA Poll - Tigers At 21
In the national poll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the Tigers were ranked 21st. Juniata remains in the top spot, with Hope also staying in second. Johns Hopkins, MIT, and Wisconsin-Whitewater round out the top five. Regional rival East Texas Baptist is ranked 10th and SCAC foe Southwestern sits in 17th.
Preview - Back In Calgaard
The Tigers will start their games a day earlier this week as they host Schreiner on Thursday, October 17th at 6:00 PM. Then, the next day, they will play against Texas Lutheran with a 6:00 PM start time. These two matches will mark the start of the second round of conference play for Trinity.
On the Schreiner Mountaineers: The Mountaineers have a record of 7-9 (2-6 SCAC) through the first round of SCAC play this season. Schreiner faced challenges in September, finishing with a 2-6 record and losing six straight games to close out the month. However, after starting October with a narrow five-set loss to Southwestern, Schreiner rebounded with wins over Huston-Tillotson and Centenary. The team continues to rely on 2023 SCAC Freshman of the Year Gianna Hillard, who leads the Mountaineers in kills (163) and attempts (546). Although the team's hitting percentage is not particularly high, they have several players capable of making an impact. Senior Taylor Braxton has surpassed 100 kills this season, while sophomore Jesse Garner is nearing that mark with 83 kills. In their last matchup, Trinity swept Schreiner, extending their all-time record against the Mountaineers to 44-0.
On the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs: Texas Lutheran has a record of 13-5 (6-1 SCAC) this season. Since losing to the Tigers on September 20th, the Bulldogs have won seven consecutive games, including sweeps against Concordia and McMurry. Outside hitter Brylie Nedd leads TLU with 226 kills, ranking third in the conference. Junior outside hitter Ryann Ely is the only other Bulldog with over 100 kills this season. Defensively, TLU is strong, ranking fourth in the country for digs per set (20.55) and 26th in total digs (1,356). Libero Faith Coldewey has recorded 376 digs this season, placing her 14th nationally for digs per set (5.70). In their last matchup, the Tigers swept Texas Lutheran and hit .319 as a team. Historically, the Tigers hold a 42-10 record against the Bulldogs.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers continue their homestand in a highly-anticipated rematch against Southwestern on October 25th.
