ATLANTA, GEORGIA - No. 16 Tiger Volleyball falls to No. 6 Emory in regional final of NCAA Playoffs.
 
The Tigers lost in the third round of the NCAA Playoffs to host institution Emory University 3-1. Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) led Trinity offensively with 11 kills. Maddie Fate (New York, New York / Croton Harmon) and Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) were both right behind Pope with 10 kills apiece. Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) was the top defender today as she collected 24 digs while Annabelle Lanik (Sugar Land, Texas / St. John's) tallied 14 digs of her own. The setting duo of Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) and Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, California / Viewpoint) combined for 43 assists, Dhayer with 22 and DeRivel with 21. With their performances, Fate and Rodriguez were named to the Atlanta Regional All-Tournament Team.
 
The Rundown
 
The match began with both teams trading big runs. Emory opened with a 4-1 run, but Trinity answered with four consecutive points to take a 5-4 lead. The Eagles responded with a 4-0 run of their own, reclaiming the lead at 8-5. The teams continued trading runs, but Emory maintained control, scoring two points for nearly every one from Trinity. A late 3-0 run extended Emory's lead to seven and then the Eagles secured the first set 25-20 later.
 
Set two featured a back-and-forth battle early on, with Trinity edging ahead 9-8 after a small run. Emory responded with four straight points to regain a three-point advantage. However, a key kill by Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) sparked a 5-1 Tiger rally, giving Trinity a 15-14 lead. Despite a brief setback from an attack error, Trinity surged ahead with a 4-1 run, capped off by Fate's decisive swing to seal a 25-22 set victory.
Riding the momentum, the Tigers started set three strong, jumping out to a 7-3 lead. Emory, however, countered with a dominant 9-2 run to regain control. The Eagles finished the set with a commanding 7-0 run, taking it 25-17. Set four followed a similar pattern, with both teams trading points early. A crucial mid-set run gave Emory the edge they needed to close out the set 25-21, winning the match 3-1.
 
The Tigers end their season with a 26-6 overall record, including a 13-1 record in SCAC play. Their impressive campaign featured an SCAC Regular Season Championship, an SCAC Tournament Championship, six All-SCAC selections, SCAC Player of the Year, SCAC Freshman of the Year, SCAC Coaching Staff of the Year, and four All-Region honors, with additional awards yet to be announced. Trinity's NCAA Playoff record now stands at 47-29, and they are 12-16 all-time against Emory University.