Rome, Georgia - The 10th ranked Trinity University Volleyball finished their 3-game weekend with a sweep against Oglethorpe, continuing their unbeaten record in the SAA conference.
The Tigers (17-3, 11-0 SAA) continued their conference dominance with a commanding win, taking all 3 sets comfortably.
Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, N.M. / Horizon) led the Tigers' offense with 7 kills, a .385 hitting percentage, and 2 service aces while contributing 8 block assists for an outstanding 13 points.
Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) tallied 4 kills, 3 aces, and 2 block assists for a total 8 points.
Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Boerne Champion) followed with 6 kills on a team-best .667 hitting percentage.
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) added 4 kills on .400 hitting with 4 block assists.
Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) contributed 4 kills and 2 block assists.
Trinity controlled the match from start to finish, hitting an efficient .274 across three sets while limiting Oglethorpe to -.023. The Tigers' offense produced 31 kills to the Petrels' 21, complemented by a strong defensive showing with 10 total blocks and a 37–29 edge in digs. Their serving also proved decisive, notching 11 aces to just 6 from Oglethorpe, showcasing a complete performance on both sides of the ball.
The Rundown
Trinity jumped out to a commanding start in the opening frame, capitalizing on Oglethorpe errors and strong early serving from
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) to take a 5–0 lead. 8 attack errors from the Petrels contributed to Trinity's first 12 points, taking the score to 12-4. The Tigers maintained complete control behind a balanced attack, with McCarthy recording consecutive kills midway through the set. More errors from the petrels and clinical offense produced 3 straight kills assisted by
Anna Verhoff (Milton, Ga. / Milton), extending the lead to 22–8. A service ace from McCarthy sealed the frame, capping off an assertive 25–9 opening set.
After a better start by Oglethorpe trading points to 2–2, Trinity surged to 6–2 behind Rodriguez at the line and back-to-back blocks from McWilliams and McCarthy. The frame broke open when Verhoff ignited a 9–0 run from 7–4 to 15–4, stringing together two service aces, two assisted blocks (with McCarthy and Pope), and setting kills for Pope and Drange. Oglethorpe cut the deficit to 18-12 due to a 8-3 run from the Petrels, but momentum was halted by two kills from McWilliams and another from Drange, taking the score to 23-15.
Lily Long (Glenview, Ill. / New Trier) delivered the clincher after a set from Rodriguez to close the set 25–19. Despite a stronger showing from the Petrels, Trinity's relentless attack once again proved decisive.
The closing set was the most competitive of the match, a back-and-forth battle that tested Trinity's composure before their offense broke through. Both sides traded points to a 9–9 tie, highlighted by 2 kills and a service ace from McCarthy, before Long sparked momentum with a pinpoint service ace. From there, Whatley fueled a dominant stretch, producing 2 kills and a block (with McCarthy) to push the Tigers ahead 15–10. Oglethorpe rallied to level the frame at 16–16, but Whatley answered with a commanding six-point service run, firing two aces while Pope and McCarthy added a pair of crucial blocks to restore the Tigers' dominance.
Sophia Burke (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) put the finishing touch on the sweep with a decisive kill, sealing the 25–18 victory and capping off Trinity's straight-sets win.
Looking ahead
The Tigers are on the road again with a fixture next Friday against Southwestern in Georgetown.
