NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA - No. 12 Tiger Volleyball takes their first two games at 2025 Captains Challenge.
The Tigers (4-1) picked up two wins against William Paterson (3-1) and host-school Christopher Newport (3-0). Trinity's offense was powered by
Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands), who tallied a career-high 21 kills at a blistering .429 clip against William Paterson and followed with 10 more in the sweep of Christopher Newport, giving her 31 kills across the two matches to lead all Tigers.
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) continued to be a steady presence on the outside, putting down 10 kills in the William Paterson win and adding another double-digit effort with 11 more against Christopher Newport, finishing the day with 22 total kills.
On the defensive end, libero
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) anchored Trinity's back row, recording 19 digs against William Paterson and 11 more against Christopher Newport to eclipse the 30-dig mark across the two matches. Whatley also saw herself over 30 digs, collecting 22 against William Paterson and 9 against CNU. At the service line,
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, California / Viewpoint) provided a spark in the William Paterson match with five aces.
Game One - Tigers 3, Pioneers 1
Trinity wasted no time establishing control. Whatley jump-started the offense with two quick kills, while DeRivel spread the ball around to
Lily Long (Glenview, Illinois / New Trier) and
Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) as the Tigers surged to a 10–3 lead. The momentum only grew with
Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) delivering an ace while Whatley put in three more kills, stretching the margin to 17–4. Trinity's defense smothered the Pioneers, as Rodriguez anchored the back row to keep long rallies alive. Two straight service aces from DeRivel and a quick strike from Long pushed the score to 21–5. From there, Trinity rolled to the finish line, with
Angelica Medina (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) capping off the set with a kill to close out a commanding 25–7 opener.
The Tigers built another early cushion, starting 5–0 behind two DeRivel aces and an emphatic kill from Pope. Trinity's front row was relentless, with Pope and Whatley combining for kills to extend the lead to 16–10. Whatley continued to shine, finding seams in the block, while
Marissa Drange (Boerne, Texas / Boerne Champion) joined in at the net to keep the Pioneers on their heels. At 20–12, it looked like Trinity would cruise, but William Paterson clawed back to cut the gap to just one at 21–20. Under pressure, the Tigers responded, Whatley steadied the side out with a critical swing,
Sophia Burke (Houston, Texas / Jersey Village) delivered a timely kill, and Whatley added another to put the Tigers back in control. With the set hanging in the balance,
Brynn Bishop (Indianola, Iowa / Indianola) stepped up at the service line and delivered an ace to seal Trinity's 25–22 win and give the Tigers a 2–0 match lead.
Trinity again opened strong with early points from Long and McWilliams to take a 9–5 lead, later stretched to 15–12 by a Whatley ace. But the Pioneers refused to go away. Pope kept Trinity alive with kills at 19–17 and Whatley delivered key side outs late at 27–27 and 28–28. Despite the Tigers' fight, William Paterson capitalized on a late miscue and converted set point for a narrow 30–28 victory, trimming the Trinity lead to 2–1.
The Tigers responded emphatically. DeRivel opened the frame with a service run that helped Trinity jump to a 7–0 lead. Long and Whatley hammered down kills, while Starr joined in 11–4. The Tigers never let up—Pope and Whatley kept pounding away offensively, and Rodriguez's defense gave Trinity transition chances to extend the lead to 17–8 and then 23–8. The Pioneers had no answers down the stretch, and Whatley's kill set up match point at 24–9. The Tiger block forced a Pioneer hitter error and Trinity secured the 25–10 win, clinching the match in four.
Game Two - Tigers 3, Captains 0
Trinity came out sharp at The Freeman Center, with Pope striking first on a kill set up by DeRivel. The Tigers kept applying pressure as Whatley landed multiple kills early and then dropped in a service ace to extend the lead to 8–5. Starr and McWilliams teamed up on a block, while
Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, New Mexico / Horizon) added a solo stop to make it 10–7. The offense stayed balanced— Long delivered a pair of kills, and Whatley converted back-to-back swings to keep Trinity in front. Long then took over at the service line, scoring two aces during a 6–1 run that pushed the Tigers to set point. Pope closed the frame with another kill, finishing off a strong opening effort. Trinity claimed the opener, 25–18.
The second frame saw the Tigers stay aggressive from the start, as Pope and Whatley each hammered down early kills to grab a 5–2 advantage. McWilliams joined the attack with a kill off a set from
Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek), and moments later, Long ripped another finish to keep Trinity ahead 9–5. Starr and Pope teamed up for a block to stretch the lead further, and Whatley kept swinging effectively on the outside, registering two more kills midway through the set. Dhayer served an ace and Pope added another kill, widening the gap to 20–14. Long powered down a kill late, and Bishop's serve forced set point, allowing the Tigers to close it out. Trinity took the second, 25–17.
Trinity dominated from the opening whistle, scoring four straight points on kills by Pope, Whatley, and McCarthy, followed by a block from Whatley and Pope. Long then ripped back-to-back kills to help Trinity jump ahead 9–3. After Christopher Newport closed within two at 11–9, the Tigers reasserted control with a run sparked by Pope, McWilliams, and Whatley all finding the floor. Drange entered the game and contributed a kill, while Rodriguez added an ace from the service line to extend the lead to 18–13. Pope hammered down another late kill, and Drange put away the final swing off a Dhayer set to end it. Trinity secured the sweep with a 25–18 win in the third.
Up Next
The Tigers will take on Bridgewater (VA) tomorrow at 11:00 AM to close out the Captains Challenge.
