After a strong finish to regular season play, the Tigers head to Oglethorpe University for the SAA Conference Championship. Trinity is heading into the weekend as the #1 overall seed after securing the Regular Season Title with their win against Southwestern last Friday. At the end of the regular season, the Tigers are ranked 4th nationally in Blocks Per Set, 9th in Hitting Percentage and 12th in Kills Per Set.
AVCA Poll: Tigers at #8
The Tigers remain #8 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll this week. East Texas Baptist overtook the #1 spot after La Verne took their first loss of the season last weekend, but they are still ranked #2. Illinois Wesleyan, who will be hosting the National Championship this year is ranked #3 overall. Wisconsin- Oshkosh sits in fourth place followed by Wisconsin- Eau Claire. Conference rival Berry is ranked #19 and Southwestern received votes.
Preview- The SAA Tournament:
The Tigers earned a bye for the first game with their first-place finish. They will play the winner of the Sewanee vs. Centre matchup that will take place Thursday 11/13 at 1:00 CST. Trinity's first match will be Friday, 11/14 at 1:00 CST. The 2025 SAA Conference Champion will be crowned following the match on Saturday, 11/15 at 11:00 AM CST.
On Centre Colonels:
The Colonels have a 16-12 overall record and finished 7-7 in conference regular season play. They finished their SAA matchups strong with wins over Berry and Oglethorpe. Centre is the defending SAA Tournament Champions. Centre beat Sewanee at home earlier this season but then lost to them on the road in their second meeting. Centre had three players named to the SAA All Conference Team: Syd Bietz (First Team), Mack Turner (Second Team), and Abby Swartz (All-Sportsmanship).
On Sewanee Tigers:
Sewanee posted a 17-10 overall record and finished 8-6 in conference regular season play. They are coming into the SAA tournament as the #4 seed. The Tigers are on a 7-game winning streak, their last loss being against Trinity earlier this month. Sewanee Libero Sophia Caruso was named Defensive Athlete of the Year for the Conference after racking up 470 digs. Sewanee had 5 other players named to the All-Conference squad: Savannah Gann (First Team), Anna Ellison (Second Team), Mollie White (Second Team), Emma Meyer (Honorable Mention), and Sydney Bixby (All-Sportsmanship).
Looking Ahead:
Should the Tigers win the SAA Conference Tournament, they will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs. The Selection show will air on Monday, 11/17 at 12 PM CST, where the NCAA will reveal the 64-team Championship Bracket. Regional matchups will be played November 20-22.
