DANVILLE, Ky. – The No. 15 Trinity University volleyball team battled No. 10 Berry College to five sets on Saturday morning before falling 3-2 in a Southern Athletic Association (SAA) matchup at Centre College.
The Tigers (14-7, 6-5 SAA) rallied from an opening-set loss to take the second set decisively, then forced a fifth set after a narrow victory in the fourth. Berry (17-3, 9-1 SAA) ultimately prevailed by scores of 25-23, 15-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12.
Courtney Pope (New Braunfels, Texas / Canyon) led Trinity with 16 kills, while Connelley McWilliams (Austin, Texas / St. Michael's) added 13 kills. Annabelle Lanik (Sugar Land, Texas / St. John's) paced the Tigers defensively with 22 digs, and Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, California / Viewpoint) finished with 26 assists. Taylor Starr (Southlake, Texas / Carroll) led Trinity at the net with six total blocks.
The Tigers finished with 53 kills and hit .231 as a team, while outblocking Berry 12-8 and holding a 64-59 advantage in digs. However, the Vikings recorded 64 kills and eight service aces to help secure the hard-fought conference victory.
The Rundown
Trinity opened the match in a tightly contested first set, trading points with Berry before the Vikings edged ahead for a 25-23 win. The Tigers responded emphatically in the second set, capitalizing on Berry's 10 attack errors to take a 25-15 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
Berry regained control in the third set, using a more efficient offensive effort to win 25-20 and move within one set of the match. Trinity answered in the fourth, keeping the contest close throughout before closing out a 25-23 win to force a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, the teams battled through the opening points before Berry created enough separation to take a 15-12 victory and clinch the match. Pope and McWilliams continued to lead the Tigers' attack, while Lanik anchored the back row with her match-high 22 digs.
Despite the loss, Trinity's defensive effort and ability to force a fifth set against one of the SAA's top teams highlighted the Tigers' competitiveness in conference play.
Up Next
Trinity returns home to Julie Jenkins Court for the next SAA pod, beginning Friday, October 23, against Millsaps College at 11:00 a.m. The Tigers will then face Southwestern University at 6:00 p.m. Friday before closing the weekend against Rhodes College on Saturday, October 24, at 1:30 p.m.
