No. 21 Tiger Volleyball heads to the concrete jungle to compete to play in a trio of matches this weekend.
The Tigers (8-5, 3-1 SCAC) are coming off a pair of sweeps against Schreiner and Concordia last weekend.
Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Champion) led Trinity with 21 total kills while
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) was the best defensive player as she collected 22 digs.
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, California / Viewpoint) was excellent this weekend, notching 41 assists and eight service aces. Against Concordia, Kendall had a career- high six aces. As a team, the Tigers rank 31st nationally in team total blocks (117), 21st in hitting percentage (.239), and 12th in blocks per set (2.34).
Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) is 16th in blocks per set (1.18) while
Maddie Fate (New York, New York / Croton Harmon) is 4th nationally in hitting percentage (.433).
AVCA National Poll - Tigers At 21
In the national poll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), the Tigers are ranked 21st. Juniata remains in the top spot, with Hope jumping back into second position. Johns Hopkins, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and MIT round out the top 5. Regional rival East Texas Baptist is ranked 11th and SCAC foe Southwestern is 17th.
Preview - Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of
Trinity will travel to New York on October 4th and 5th. The Tigers will open their trip against Smith College and Ithaca College on October 4th at 2:00 PM (ET) and 4:45 (ET). Then, Trinity will take on host NYU on October 5th at 10:30 (ET).
On the Smith College Pioneers: The Pioneers have made an impressive start this season with a record of 13-1. Smith College's only loss came in a close 3-2 match against Gallaudet. However, they rebounded two matches later by defeating No. 18 Wesleyan in five sets. If we exclude four games from their mid-season tournament, the Pioneers have won 30 sets and lost only three. Smith has achieved this success with a strong team hitting percentage, ranking second in the country at .300. Senior hitter Abby Sweeney is leading the charge, boasting 128 total kills and a hitting percentage of .353. This match will mark the first time these two programs meet on the volleyball court.
On the No. 22 Ithaca College Bombers: Ithaca has had a solid season so far, boasting a 9-2 record. The Bombers' only losses have come against Stevens and Johns Hopkins, but they have swept all their other opponents. Ithaca features a strong blocking game, ranking 17th in the nation with 2.30 blocks per set. Junior middle blocker Ella Graper ranks 7th individually with 1.27 blocks per set. Setter Wesley Slavin is an all-around player, recording over 300 assists this season and averaging 10.45 assists per set. However, Trinity may look to exploit her height disadvantage, as she stands only 5-foot-7. The Tigers will also need to account for outside hitter Naomi Clauhs, who leads the Bombers with 111 kills. This matchup marks the first time these two teams have faced each other since the 1999 season, when third-ranked Trinity swept 18th-ranked Ithaca on their way to an NCAA finals appearance. The Tigers hold a 2-0 all-time record against Ithaca.
On the No. 20 New York Violets: The Violets have a 10-6 record so far in the 2024 season. NYU has experienced a seesaw season and has struggled in conference play. However, they have historically been a strong team that Trinity often faces late in the playoffs. The Violets rank 13th nationally in total blocks with 133, and libero Yooni Park is 12th in total digs with 346. Offensively, NYU will rely heavily on sophomore Grace Nelson, who has recorded 206 kills with a hitting percentage of .177. Freshman right-side hitter Chloe Hynes has emerged as a quiet offensive weapon, contributing 135 kills with an impressive .305 hitting percentage. In their last matchup, the two teams faced off in the NCAA semifinals in 2022, where the Tigers won in four sets, bringing their all-time record against NYU to 3-1.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will play in an SCAC Crossover in Houston, Texas on October 12th and 13th.
