No. 20 Tiger Volleyball stays on the road for more SCAC competition against Schreiner and Concordia.
The Tigers (6-5, 1-1 SCAC) split last weekend, defeating Texas Lutheran in three sets while losing to Southwestern in four. Mackenzie Logan (Calgary, Canada / Bishop Carroll) led Trinity with 22 kills while Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Champion) tacked on 18 kills of her own. Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) was Trinity's leading defensive player with 33 total digs. With a 1-1 record in conference play, the Tigers sit in third in the gold division.
As a team, the Tigers rank 11th nationally in blocks per set (2.39), 13th in hitting percentage (0.247), and 16th in team total blocks (105). Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) is 14th nationally in blocks per set (1.20) and Maddie Fate (New York, New York / Croton Harmon) is 7th in hitting percentage (0.429).
AVCA Poll
In the national poll by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), the Tigers were ranked 20th. Juniata still sits in the top spot, with Wisconsin-Oshkosh jumping into second. Wisconsin-Whitewater, Hope, and Johns Hopkins round out the top five. Fellow Texas team ETBU is ranked 13th and SCAC rival Southwestern is 19th.
Preview - Taking I-10 and I-35
The Tigers will head to Kerrville to play against Schreiner on Friday, September 27th at 5:00 PM. Then, the team will be in Austin against Concordia on Saturday at 2:00 PM.
On the Schreiner Mountaineers: Last season's SCAC Cinderella story, the Mountaineers, have started this year with a 4-4 overall record (0-1 in SCAC play). After losing their first match against Hendrix, they won four consecutive games. However, Schreiner has since dropped their last three matches, including a 3-1 loss to Texas Lutheran. Gianna Hilliard, the 2023 SCAC Freshman of the Year, leads Schreiner this season with 82 kills, though she has a hitting percentage of only .192. She also tops the team with 105 digs. As a whole, Schreiner's hitters have struggled, posting a collective hitting percentage of .179, while they have held opponents to a .172 percentage. The Tigers have a perfect 43-0 record against Schreiner and have not lost a set to them since 2018.
On the Concordia Tornadoes: One of the newcomers to the conference, the Tornadoes, have a 5-6 record so far in 2024. They have faced tough competition this season, losing matches against Pacific Lutheran and UMHB, both of which are receiving votes. Concordia will begin their SCAC journey against strong teams, facing TLU, Trinity, and Southwestern in succession. CTX will rely on a pair of freshman phenoms who account for 204 of the team's 502 total kills. Outside hitter Brooklynne Fitzgerald leads the Tornadoes with 122 kills, boasting a hitting percentage of .181. In their match last year, the Tigers swept Concordia and held them to a hitting percentage of just .043. Historically, Trinity holds an 18-0 record against Concordia.
Looking Ahead
The Tigers will head to New York for a trio of matches on October 4th and 5th.
