SAN ANTONIO - No. 10 Tiger Volleyball splits the final day of the Trinity Fall Classic.
The Tigers (2-1) started the day with a sweep of nationally ranked New York University, but then fell to Wisconsin-Platteville to close out the tournament.
Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) led the team offensively with 17 kills while also shining defensively with 28 digs.
Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, New Mexico / Horizon) also was stellar today, posting 10 kills and an impressive 7.5 total blocks.
Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) and
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, California / Viewpoint) were distributing machines on their way to 61 combined assists.
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) was also solid defensively with 29 digs. With their efforts, Rodriguez and Whatley were named to the 2025 Trinity Fall Classic All-Tournament team.
Game One - Trinity 3, NYU 0
Trinity came out strong in the opening set, with Whatley sparking the attack and delivering key kills to give the Tigers a 6–4 advantage. The defense then took over, forcing multiple NYU errors during a six-point surge that built a 14–10 lead. Whatley and
Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) combined for a crucial block at 19–16, but the Violets battled back late.
Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) and Whatley steadied the Tigers, setting up a dramatic finish. At 24–22,
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) drilled the final point to the floor, sealing the 25–22 set win for TU.
The second set belonged entirely to Trinity. DeRivel orchestrated the offense with precision, setting up McCarthy and Whatley for back-to-back kills to ignite a 4–1 run. From there, the Tigers unleashed seven straight points, highlighted by McWilliams and McCarthy at the net and a Dhayer kill that extended the lead to 15–5. Rodriguez dropped in an ace to stretch it to 22–8, and the Tigers closed in dominant fashion. Pope and Starr kept the attack rolling before
Lily Long (Glenview, Illinois / New Trier) hammered home the final kill for a commanding 25–12 victory.
Riding that momentum, Trinity jumped out to a 7–2 lead in the third set behind kills from Pope and Long and an ace by Rodriguez. McWilliams continued her dominance at the net, while McCarthy's kill pushed the Tigers ahead 16–12. With Dhayer and DeRivel distributing the offense, Long and Starr contributed late points to maintain control. Whatley fittingly delivered the match-clinching kill, capping a 25–18 win and a decisive sweep for the Tigers.
Game Two - Trinity 0, UW-Platteville 3
Trinity struck first with early kills from McCarthy and Long to build a 4–1 advantage. Whatley added a powerful finish to knot the score at 8–8, and the Tigers stayed in stride with the Pioneers. Midway through, Long and Pope provided key points to even things at 14–14. Whatley then dropped in a clutch ace that tied the set at 21–21, pushing Trinity to the brink of a win. Despite the late surge, the Tigers came up just short, falling 26–24 in extras.
The Pioneers jumped ahead 7–1 in the second set, but Trinity clawed back with a burst of offense from Whatley, Long, and McWilliams to trim the margin to 13–8. McWilliams and Whatley continued to attack effectively, while McCarthy added timely points to keep the Tigers within striking distance at 18–13. Starr and Whatley chipped in late kills to narrow it to 24–19, but Platteville held on to close the frame, 25–19.
The Tigers came out sharp in the third, using strong play at the net to grab a quick 2–0 lead. Platteville countered with a run, but Trinity stayed poised, pulling even at 17–17 after a Pioneer attack error. Down the stretch,
Annabelle Lanik (Sugar Land, Texas / St. John's) delivered a clutch ace to make it 23–22 and keep Trinity alive. However, Platteville responded with a closing spurt, and the Tigers dropped the set 25–22 to end the match.
Up Next
The Tigers will head to Newport News, Virginia to play against William Paterson on September 5th at 12:30 PM.
