No. 22 Tiger Volleyball heads back into SCAC play with a trip to Houston to face St. Thomas, Austin College, and Colorado College.
 
During their trip to New York, the Tigers (10-6, 3-1 SCAC) came out with a 2-1 record. Trinity started with a five-set win against Smith College, then a loss to no. 22 Ithaca, and finally picked up a big win against 20th-ranked NYU. Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) totaled 36 kills on the weekend and Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) tacked on 30 kills of her own. Defensively, the Tigers roofed their opponents 35 times on the weekend. Nationally, Trinity ranks in the top 10 in blocks per set (2.41) and team total blocks (152). Individually, Maddie Fate (New York, New York / Croton Harmon) ranks 13th nationally in hitting percentage (0.402) and Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) ranks 21st in blocks per set (1.14)
 
AVCA Poll - Tigers At 22
 
In the national poll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the Tigers were ranked 22nd. 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 9th and SCAC foe Southwestern sits in 16th. 
 
Preview - Trip To H-Town
 
The Tigers will head to Houston to take on St. Thomas and Austin College on Saturday, October 12th at 12:15 PM and 5:00 PM. Then, the following day, Trinity will face the other Tigers of Colorado College at noon. 
 
On the St. Thomas Celts: The Celts have had a rollercoaster season so far, with a record of 9-8 (4-2 SCAC). Their inconsistency has been evident; for instance, after losing 3-1 to Schreiner, they bounced back with a 3-1 victory over a competitive Hardin-Simmons team, only to be swept by HPU the following week. They also took top-10 ranked East Texas Baptist to five sets but were then swept by Colorado College. This unpredictability makes it hard to know which version of the Celts will show up. Offensively, St. Thomas relies heavily on all-conference hitter Audrey Cataline, who has 167 total kills and averages 2.78 kills per set. Outside hitter Alexis Bodunrin and middle blocker Laynee Beam also play significant roles in the offense. Defensively, libero Kara Spice has 321 digs and is ranked 43rd nationally in that category. Last season, the Tigers defeated the Celts in four sets during both matches, and Trinity has a perfect 11-0 record against St. Thomas all-time.
 
On the Austin College Roos: Austin College is having a promising season with a record of 12-6 (5-0 SCAC). After a tough September, where they lost four straight matches to La Verne, Pomona-Pitzer, Chapman, and Whittier, the Roos have rebounded with an impressive 9-1 record. This includes sweeps against St. Thomas and Colorado College. In their five conference matches, the Roos have dropped only one set. However, they are about to face the toughest part of their schedule, taking on nationally-ranked Southwestern, Trinity, and East Texas Baptist in succession. During these critical matches, Austin College will rely on a trio of hitters: TJ Folse, Rachel Sadler, and Victoria Larson. Each has recorded over 100 kills this season and provides reliable options for their setters. In their last meeting, the Tigers narrowly defeated Austin College in five sets, winning set five 15-12. Historically, Trinity has a dominant record of 40-3 against the Roos.
 
On the Colorado College Tigers: The other Tigers are 8-7 (4-1 SCAC) so far this season. While their near .500 record may seem average, it doesn't tell the whole story. They opened the season with a challenging home tournament against three nationally ranked opponents, finishing with a 1-3 record after winning their final match against Transylvania. The following weekend, they faced another tough tournament featuring Emory, Tufts, and Cal Lutheran. As a result, six of Colorado's seven losses have come against teams that were either nationally ranked or receiving votes. Since entering conference play, Colorado College has swept all but one of their opponents. They defeated St. Thomas, Dallas, McMurry, and Centenary, but were swept by Austin College in their most recent match. In the last Tiger vs. Tiger matchup during the conference tournament, Trinity swept Colorado in dominant fashion, extending their all-time record against CC to 27-20.
 
Looking Ahead
 
The Tigers will return home to play against Schreiner on October 17th and the Texas Lutheran on October 18th.