ATLANTA -  No. 8 Trinity volleyball punched its ticket to the SAA Championship Final with a gritty 3-1 victory over Centre, overcoming momentum swings and delivering clutch plays late to secure their spot in tomorrow's title match.

Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) powered the Tigers with a match-high 13 kills on a .423 hitting percentage, adding 3 blocks and a dig for 15.5 points. She was Trinity's most consistent offensive option all night, finding seams in the Centre block and delivering momentum-shifting swings throughout the match. Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, N.M. / Horizon) turned in one of her most complete postseason performances, contributing 6 kills, 8 total blocks, and a service ace for 12.0 points. Her presence at the net was a difference-maker, anchoring a block that repeatedly stalled Centre's offense during key stretches. Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) excelled in the stat sheet once again with 8 kills, 16 digs, 4 blocks, and an ace, finishing with 11.0 points. Her all-around play steadied the Tigers in long rallies, and she delivered timely swings when Trinity needed to regain momentum. Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) delivered a highly efficient outing with 7 kills on .500 hitting, finishing with 7.0 points. Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, Calif. / Viewpoint) was sharp and composed in the setter role, adding 4 kills on .667 hitting, 20 assists, and 5 digs for 4.0 points. 

Trinity edged Centre across key categories, finishing with 65.0 points, 45 kills, and 14 blocks, while matching the Colonels in digs at 66-66. Centre held slight advantages in points (66.0) and aces (8-6), but the Tigers' superior blocking and balanced offense proved decisive in the 3-1 semifinal win.

The Rundown
Trinity and Centre traded points early before kills from Pope and Starr gave the Tigers a 2-1 edge. Centre responded with a small push to go up 4-2, but Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) shifted momentum, forcing two Centre errors while steadying the Tigers with her service. Moments later, Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) and McCarthy combined for back-to-back blocks, flipping the score to 8-6 and igniting the Tigers' first real run. The Colonels briefly leveled the frame at 8-8, but Trinity answered through a Whatley kill in transition and a sharp service ace from McCarthy to move ahead 12-10. Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) added two clean sets to Whatley and DeRivel, as Trinity stretched the lead to 15-11 and took control. Whatley followed with an ace and Starr added another quick strike through the middle, building an 18-12 advantage. McCarthy continued her strong presence with a kill and block late in the set, and Annabelle Lanik (Sugar Land, Texas / St. John's) sealed the opener with a pinpoint service ace as Trinity closed out the first frame 25-15.
 
Centre opened stronger, but a service error evened the score before Rodriguez forced consecutive attack errors to put Trinity up 3-1. Centre answered with an ace, but the Tigers regained control as McCarthy and Whatley combined for a block and another Centre mistake pushed the lead to 6-3 under DeRivel's pinpoint service. A kill by DeRivel helped Trinity extend the margin to 8-4. Whatley and McWilliams chipped in with key swings as the Tigers maintained a steady pace. The Colonels made a brief push, but Dhayer steadied the Tigers through clean setting, allowing Starr to respond with a kill and keep Trinity ahead 11-6. Centre closed to within one after four consecutive points, but the Tigers responded equally. Lanik delivered a kill, McCarthy added another through the middle, and Trinity rebuilt a 15-11 cushion. Whatley and Starr continued to apply pressure, and Lily Long (Glenview, Ill. / New Trier) added a clean kill off a Dhayer setup to make it 20-16. Centre stayed within reach late, but Whatley's powerful finish and a composed swing from Pope brought the Tigers to set point. A Centre service error closed it out as Trinity secured Set Two 25-22, taking a 2-0 match lead.
Centre jumped out quickly in the third, taking advantage of a service ace and early Trinity miscues to build a 2-0 lead before Starr put down a clean kill to get the Tigers on the board. DeRivel added a kill of her own, and Pope followed with another sharp finish to push Trinity to 4-3 ahead. Centre brought it back to 7-7 and followed with a strong serving run that created separation, with 9 consecutive points pushing them 15-7 ahead. Trinity put together some important points, however more aggressive offense pushed the Colonels to 22-15. A late kill by Whatley and block by Long showed the Tigers' spirit, however the deficit was too great to overcome and Centre won the set 25-18, bringing the match to 2-1. 

Trinity put the third set behind them and started sharply, with early kills from Pope and Whatley helping the Tigers jump ahead 2-1. McCarthy and McWilliams immediately made an impact at the net, forcing consecutive Centre errors to extend the lead to 4-1. Centre answered with a brief push to even the frame at 5-5, but Long steadied the Tigers with a clean kill off a Dhayer setup. Centre momentarily grabbed the lead, but Trinity responded with a composed stretch. DeRivel dropped in a kill, Pope added two more, and Rodriguez delivered a timely service ace to put the Tigers back in front 12-10. Centre continued to challenge, yet McWilliams and McCarthy controlled the middle with key blocks that kept Trinity in rhythm at 14-13. The two teams showed their competitive nature and traded points until Centre took an 18-16 lead. The Tigers, however, remained calm under pressure and Starr and Long powered home back-to-back kills to even up the game. Pope powered down a transition kill, and Lanik provided a spark with a sharp service ace to push Trinity to a 21-19 advantage. Despite the scores leveling once again at 21-21, the class of the Tigers was too much to overcome. The momentum shifted once again as McCarthy and Whatley stuffed a Centre swing, and Pope followed with another composed finish. The Tigers finished in style, with a clinical Pope kill followed by a final block alongside Whatley to take the match. Trinity took the final set 25-21 and secured a 3-1 victory to advance to the SAA Championship Final.

Up Next
The Tigers will look to bring their first SAA title back to San Antonio in a conference championship decider against Berry. The final will take place at 12pm and is set to be a thriller, as Head Coach Julie Jenkins looks to create more history with Trinity Volleyball.