ATLANTA, Ga. - No. 8 Trinity battled throughout Sunday's SAA Championship Final but came up short in a 3-0 loss to No. 19 Berry. The Tigers showed resilience, highlighted by strong stretches on both sides of the ball but fell short against a strong Berry side. 

Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Boerne Champion) led Trinity with 8 kills on 21 swings (.190) and 3 blocks for 9.5 points, showing composure in attack against a strong Berry block. Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) matched her with 9.5 points, finishing with 7 kills on .273 hitting, 3 blocks, and 2 digs, providing steady scoring. Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, N.M. / Horizon) totaled 6 kills on .308 hitting and 5 blocks for 8.5 points, Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) added 6 kills, 1 ace, and 3 digs for 7.0 points. Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) chipped in 4 kills on .364 hitting, with 3 blocks for 5.5 points. 

Berry finished with 47 kills to Trinity's 32, putting pressure on the Tigers throughout the match. Trinity countered, however, with strong work at the net, posting 9 blocks to Berry's 6, and added 35 digs to steady their defensive structure despite the Vikings' offensive pace.

The Rundown
Trinity opened the match on the front foot, taking a 2-0 lead behind an early error from Berry and a service ace from Annabelle Lanik (Sugar Land, Texas / St. John's). Pope added two kills in the early going to keep the Tigers on the front foot at 5-3 before Berry put together a short run to move in front. McCarthy responded with a kill through the middle, and Trinity tied the set again at 6-6 on a strong swing from Drange and a block combination from Drange and McCarthy. Berry created separation with a pair of aces, but Trinity stayed within reach as Drange hit back-to-back kills to retake the lead at 10-9. The scores were leveled at 14-14 however Berry took 5 straight points to create a gap. The Tigers showed their class and continued to battle, making key kills under pressure to give Berry just a 3 point lead at 23-20. Berry however closed the final stretch and took an exciting opener 25-20.

Set Two stayed close early, with both teams trading points before Berry used a brief serving run to take a small lead at 5-3. Trinity answered through kills from McCarthy and Pope, with a block from Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) and McWilliams giving the Tigers a 7-6 lead. The Tigers traded points through the middle of the set whilst Drange, McCarthy and Pope kept the offense moving. Trinity stayed within reach by trailing by just 3 points at 22-19. Trinity took another two points with a powerful block by McCarthy and Drange but Berry closed out the final two points to take the set 25-21.
 
Set Three opened tightly, with both sides trading points before Whatley and McCarthy combined for early kills to keep Trinity level at 4-4. Berry created a small cushion with pressure from the service line, but the Tigers answered through McCarthy, Drange, and Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek), who helped push Trinity back within one at 7-6 and later tied the frame again at 10-10. The teams continued to trade points midway through the set, with Whatley scoring twice and Drange adding another kill to keep the Tigers close at 13-13. Berry edged ahead during the late stages, but Trinity stayed in range behind a kill from Lanik and a pair of strong swings from Whatley that made it 15-15 and later 19-19. Pope added a powerful kill to bring the Tigers within two at 22-20. Trinity continued to battle until the final rallies, but Berry took the last few points to secure the set 25-21 and close out the match.

Up Next
Trinity's impressive season gives them a real chance to compete in the National Championship tournament which will be beginning next week. They hope to secure a bid and show their quality on the national stage.