JACKSON, Miss. — The 10th-ranked Trinity University Volleyball team capped off a flawless conference weekend with a commanding sweep over Millsaps College on Sunday morning, solidifying their position atop the standings.
The Tigers (19-4, 12-1 SAA) wrapped up their SAA weekend with another commanding sweep, led by
Lily Long (Glenview, Ill. / New Trier), who powered the attack with 10 kills on a .600 hitting percentage, producing 10 points.
Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Boerne Champion) followed closely with 8 kills (.615) and 4 digs, resulting in 8 points.
Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) contributed across all areas with 5 kills (.250), 7 digs, and 2 service aces, totaling 7.5 points.
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) impressed with 7 kills (.500), producing 7.5 points and showcasing her consistency at the net.
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, Calif. / Viewpoint) directed the offense efficiently with 22 assists, 4 kills (.375), and 3 service aces, contributing 7 points and controlling the pace throughout the match.
Trinity delivered another efficient all-around performance, hitting .396 with 47 kills while holding Millsaps to .165 and just 33 kills. The Tigers also dominated defensively, recording 52 digs and 5 total blocks, along with a 6–4 edge in service aces to complete a commanding weekend.
The Rundown
Trinity opened the match with a kill from Whatley before both sides traded points in the early stages. The Tigers then began to separate, with Drange,
Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, N.M. / Horizon) and
Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) converting clinical kills leading to a 5-0 run and an 8–4 lead for the Tigers. Back-to-back kills from Drange followed by a block from Pope and Starr, extended the margin to 11–6 and forced a Millsaps timeout at 11–7. Out of the break, the Tigers continued to apply pressure with powerful finishes from Pope and Starr to make it 15–8. Trinity's persistence was too much for the Majors, resulting in 5 errors in the next 6 points to force another Millsaps timeout. The Majors mounted a short run late in the set, securing 6 of the next 8 points, but Trinity's composure proved decisive. Pope capped off the frame with 2 final kills to secure the 25–19 win and an early 1–0 advantage.
Trinity started quickly in the second set, with early kills from Whatley and Pope to take a 2–0 lead before exchanging points with Millsaps to 7–7. The Tigers then began to take control as Whatley powered another kill and DeRivel delivered consecutive service aces to push the score to 11–8, prompting a Millsaps timeout at 12–9. Trinity's momentum only grew from there, with Whatley adding another ace and Drange continuing to find gaps in the defense to make it 15–9. The Tigers maintained their dominance through clean setting and strong execution, as DeRivel connected with Pope and vice-versa to take an 18–9 lead, forcing another Millsaps timeout. Despite a 3-point run by the Majors, Pope added a well-timed strike late in the set, before
Angelica Medina (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian College Prep) finished it off with the final kill, securing a confident 25–13 win and a 2–0 match lead.
The final set opened far more competitively, with both teams trading early points. Long and Drange provided the opening spark for Trinity with two clean kills, to edge the Tigers ahead 5–3. Millsaps continued to fight, capitalizing on a pair of Trinity mistakes and a service ace to gain some momentum, but
Anna Verhoff (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) kept the Tigers' offense in rhythm with composed setting, connecting with Drange before feeding Long for three consecutive kills that pushed Trinity ahead 11–9. Despite the Majors leveling the scores once again there, Pope hammered home a key point to spark a run. DeRivel served an ace alongside two kills from McCarthy to push the lead to 15–11, forcing a Millsaps timeout. Long continued to combine with Derivel, smashing home 3 of the next 4 kills for Trinity, stretching the advantage 18–11 and capping off an important 7-0 run. Millsaps fought back late into the set, earning points through a pair of kills and a service ace, cutting the deficit to 22–17. But Trinity's depth again proved decisive.
Aeris Vera (San Antonio, Texas / Pieper) and
Sophia Burke (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) combined for a late block to bring up match point, and Long sealed the set 25–20, completing the sweep and a perfect weekend for the Tigers.
Looking ahead
Trinity will look to carry their momentum into a crucial home matchup against Southwestern on November 7, aiming to deliver another statement performance in the Calgaard Gymnasium. The Tigers will also host Hardin-Simmons University on November 8 in the regular season finale.
