NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The 12th-ranked Trinity volleyball team wrapped up its first weekend on the road with a 3-0 win over Bridgewater College (VA) at the Captains Classic Tournament.
The Tigers (5-1) won 25-23, 25-15, and 25-23 to sweep its first weekend away from home, following a 3-1 win over William Paterson University (NJ) and a sweep of tournament host Christopher Newport University (VA) yesterday.
Setter
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, Calif. / Viewpoint) notched a double-double with a team-leading 22 assists to go with 14 digs. Fellow setter
Jozie Dhayer (Houston, Texas / Summer Creek) added 16 assists and six digs for the Tigers.
Jenna Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas / Antonian) led the team with 23 digs, adding five assists and a pair of service aces.
Reagan Whatley (The Woodlands, Texas / The Woodlands) and
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) both racked up double-digit kills to power Trinity's offensive attack. Whatley led the way with 16 kills, while Pope finished with 12 kills and a .379 hitting percentage for the match.
Lily Long (Glenview, Ill. / New Trier) added seven kills and 10 digs, while
Lauren McCarthy (Corrales, N.M. / Horizon) and
Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) recorded three blocks each to aid the defensive efforts.
Rodriguez and Whatley were named Co-MVPs of the tournament, while Pope was also selected for the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend.
The Rundown
Trinity scored the first two points of the opening set to get the match started on a high note and built an early four-point lead. Bridgewater battled back to tie things up at 13-13 and the teams exchanged the next several points. The Tigers trailed for the first time when the Eagles edged in front 19-18, beginning a 5-1 swing that put Bridgewater in control with a 22-19 lead. Trinity rallied by scoring six of the final seven points to steal the set and take the 1-0 lead. That rally was fueled by three kills from Pope and a set-clinching kill from Whatley.
Bridgewater opened the second set with two quick points, but the Tigers were undeterred and quickly claimed the lead with three straight points of their own. After the Eagles pulled back in front 4-3, Trinity rattled off five unanswered points that were punctuated by a Whatley Kill and a block by Whatley and Starr. Bridgewater was able to keep it close for the next few points and even drew within one at 12-11, but the Tigers put together another run that put the game out of reach. Whatley had three kills in a 6-0 run that eventually resulted in a double-digit set victory and a 2-0 match lead.
With a potential sweep on the line, Bridgewater came out strong to keep the match alive, leading 13-7 in the early part of the set. Trinity was able to slow down the momentum but couldn't put a good run together and still trailed by six (23-17) near the end of the set. With their backs against the wall, the Tigers finally got on track and powered past Bridgewater with eight straight points to clinch the match. Seven of those points were on kills and the eighth was an ace from Rodriguez. Pope claimed four of the seven kills, producing the first and last point of the streak to finish the match in style.
Up Next
The Tigers return home next weekend for the Trinity National Invitational, facing off against three teams over the two-day event. Trinity will host Northwestern University-St. Paul (MN) on Friday, September 12, at 6:00 p.m. to open its part in the tournament. Day two will be Trinity hosting Whitworth University (WA) and 11th-ranked East Texas Baptist University at 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., respectively.
