Memphis, TN - The 10th ranked Tigers swept Rhodes volleyball for the second time this season to continue their SAA dominance. 
 
The Tigers (18-4, 11-1 SAA) delivered a dominant all-around performance to stay atop the SAA conference leaderboard. Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) led the Tigers, recording 10 kills on a .346 hitting percentage, alongside 15 digs, 3 service aces, and 13.5 total points. Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) followed with 7 kills on a .500 percentage and added 2 blocks. Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, N.M. / Horizon) anchored the defense with 5 kills (.455), 6 blocks, and 2 service aces to total 10 points. Lily Long (Glenview, Ill. / New Trier) added 4 kills (.333), and 3 digs to total 4 points for the team. Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, Calif. / Viewpoint) contributed 2 kills on a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, 9 assists, and a service ace, further showcasing Trinity's depth and consistency across the court.

As a team, the Tigers dominated statistically, posting 39 kills on a .363 hitting percentage while holding Rhodes to just .070. Trinity also outperformed defensively with 52 digs and 7 total blocks, maintaining control at the service line with 7 aces compared to the Lynx's four. The Tigers' efficient attack with 6 attack errors and disciplined defense highlighted their composure and depth throughout the sweep.

The Rundown

Trinity came out strong in the opening set, establishing control early behind two service aces from Whatley and quick kills from Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Boerne Champion) and Pope to take a 7–2 lead and force a Rhodes timeout. The Tigers kept the momentum rolling with kills from McCarthy, Drange and Pope, extending the lead to 12-4. Trinity's front line continued to pile on the pressure, forcing mistakes and making 4 kills taking the score to 20-8. Despite a more competitive 3-6 run by Rhodes in the late stages of the sets, the Tigers' early dominance was too much to overcome. Two final kills from Long and Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) finalized a dominant opening set from the Tigers, with a .480 hitting percentage and just 1 attack error leaving Rhodes with no chance to gain momentum. 

The second set began as a more competitive battle, with Rhodes finding early rhythm from the service line and jumping ahead 3–0. Trinity, however, quickly regrouped behind composed play from Whatley and Pope, trading points to draw level at 6–6. A tense back-and-forth stretch brought the score to 9–9 and despite a pinpoint service ace from McCarthy and strong defense from the Tigers, the Lynx's continued to battle making it 11–11. DeRivel took command from the service spot, producing a masterclass run that featured a service ace resulting in a Rhodes timeout at 14–11. The timeout was not able to halt the Tigers' momentum as Whatley and Derivel added consecutive back-to-back kills during the Trinity surge. The impressive 11-0 run by the Tigers stretched their lead to 22-11 and gave little hope to the Lynx's. The Tigers' poise and balance shone through down the stretch, and a final kill by Aeris Vera (San Antonio, Texas / Pieper) brought up set point, a Rhodes setting error sealed another convincing 25–14 set for Trinity.

Rhodes opened the third set with the first point, but Trinity quickly took the lead behind 3 consecutive kills from Pope, McCarthy, and Whatley to move ahead 7–2. The Lynx responded with an energetic run to pull level at 7–7, but that would be as close as they came. The Tigers put together a dominant stretch, with kills from McWilliams and Long followed by an Ace from McCarthy extending the lead to 12–8. Rhodes provided some resistance, but Trinity's depth and precision proved too strong. A kill from Pope forced a timeout by Rhodes at 18-12, but did not stop the Trinity charge with a kill from McCarthy and ace from Whatley making it 21–13. Long set the tone for the finish with a clinical kill and Sophia Burke (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) closed out the set 25–17, completing the sweep in commanding fashion.

Looking ahead
 
Trinity will close out the weekend of SAA action with a Saturday matchup against Millsaps at 11:00 AM.