SAN ANTONIO — No. 3 Trinity Volleyball (6-1) returns home to
Julie Jenkins Court this week to host the Trinity Fall Classic, welcoming Johns Hopkins, Washington University in St. Louis, and St. Thomas (TX) over Friday and Saturday.
The Tigers head into the weekend off a solid showing at the Tufts Invitational in Medford, Mass., picking up wins over Salisbury and Bowdoin with their only loss coming against nationally-ranked Tufts. Sophomore
Lily Long (Glenview, Ill. / New Trier) was the standout of the weekend, piling up 44 kills across the three matches and hitting over .300 in every one, while senior setter
Kendall DeRivel (Westlake Village, Calif. / Viewpoint) set the tempo with 51 assists over the trip. Trinity has been one of the most dominant teams in the country early on, and this weekend's slate gives them a real measuring stick against three quality opponents on home turf.
AVCA Poll
Trinity sits at No. 3 nationally in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III poll (released Sept. 15), dropping one spot from No. 2 despite a 2-1 week at Tufts, as Colby jumped up to No. 2. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (7-0) remains No. 1. Also in the poll: No. 13 Washington University in St. Louis and T-18 Johns Hopkins, two of Trinity's opponents this weekend.
This Weekend
The Tigers open the Classic against Johns Hopkins Friday, Sept. 18, at 5:30 p.m., before a Saturday doubleheader against Washington University in St. Louis (11:00 a.m.) and St. Thomas (TX) (5:30 p.m.).
On Johns Hopkins:
The Blue Jays finished 2025 at 27-5, ranked No. 6 nationally, and reached the Sweet 16 for the sixth consecutive season before falling to La Verne in a five-set thriller. This year they enter 3-3 and on a three-match losing streak, swept in straight sets by Babson, Ithaca, and Carnegie Mellon at the Bomber Invitational, though they remain ranked T-18 nationally in this week's AVCA poll. Kinlan was their most consistent hitter across the weekend, posting 9, 13, and 7 kills in the three matches (29 total), while Swafford saved her best for last with a match-high 15 kills on a .438 clip in the loss to Carnegie Mellon. Anderson ran the offense all weekend, dishing 13, 15, and 15 assists across the three matches. Johns Hopkins holds the all-time series edge over Trinity, 2-1, including a 3-1 win in the teams' last meeting at the 2024 East-West Classic in St. Louis.
On Washington University in St. Louis:
No. 13 WashU comes in 5-2 and riding a two-match winning streak, most recently sweeping #4 East Texas Baptist 3-0 on Sept. 12. The Bears reached the Sweet 16 in 2025, finishing 24-9 (5-2 UAA), and return a veteran core led by Oyewole, who was AVCA Third Team All-America and led the entire UAA in kills a year ago, and Buckley, the program's all-time assists leader who led the UAA in assists by more than 400 over the next-closest player. WashU also holds the series edge over Trinity, 3-0 all-time, including a 3-1 win in St. Louis in September 2024.
On St. Thomas (TX):
The Celts sit at 1-2 to open 2026, dropping a five-set battle to Emerson before beating Montclair State and falling to NYU. Their offense runs through graduate outside hitter Bodunrin, who leads the team by a wide margin with 61 kills (5.08 per set) to go with a team-high 9 total blocks and 8 service aces. Graduate Cataline is the clear No. 2 option with 28 kills, and the Celts split setting duties between Stallworth (58 assists) and Brokaw (53 assists). Trinity is a perfect 13-0 all-time against St. Thomas, riding a 13-match winning streak dating back to 2012, including a 3-1 win in their last meeting in October 2024.
Up Next
Trinity opens SAA conference play the following weekend, hosting No. 9 Berry, No. 20 Centre, and Oglethorpe on September 25-26.
