MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Trinity University won its
11th consecutive Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
championship with a 3-0 victory over DePauw University Saturday
night at Mallory-Hyde Gymnasium on the campus of Rhodes
College.
Trinity, ranked No. 12 nationally and seeded No. 2 in the SCAC
tournament, beat fourth-seeded DePauw by scores of 25-11,
25-19, 25-21.
Senior outside hitter Megan Dudley was named the SCAC Tournament
MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates junior
middle blocker Aly Hazelwood and senior defensive specialist Megan
Guest.
"I think just as a team it was a great win, because we came in
here and every year we have a bullseye on our back - this is our
15th conference championship - and we just knew from the beginning
it was going to take an all-out team effort," said Dudley.
"I wouldn't have been here or have been given the award if it
weren't for all five people on the court and everyone on the bench.
It was a 100% team effort and I couldn't have done it without my
team."
Trinity Head Coach Julie Jenkins, who has now led the Tigers to 17
consecutive NCAA postseason appearances, was very pleased with her
program's 15th SCAC title. Trinity was in unfamiliar territory,
entering the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed.
"Last year was special because it was our 10th consecutive and
this year is special because it is our 15th overall," said Jenkins.
"We've had kinda of a little bit of an up and down season but I
think we are starting to peak at the right time. I mean this is
exciting, its really exciting because no one was expecting us to be
here."
Senior middle hitter Adrienne Cobb and senior outside hitter Erin
Cunningham of DePauw were also all-tournament selections as were
sophomore middle blocker Emily Perkins of Colorado College and
junior defensive specialist Reese Cisneros of Southwestern
University.
With the victory, Trinity (30-9) also earned the conference's
automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The
Tigers will host the NCAA South Region Tournament Nov. 13-15.
Pairings will be announced Monday.
Earlier in the evening, Southwestern swept Colorado College,
3-0, in the third/fourth place match, and Austin College upended
Rhodes College, 3-2, in the fifth/sixth place match.
For a complete recap of the 2008 SCAC Volleyball Tournament, click
here.
For a complete recap of Week 11 in SCAC Volleyball, click here.
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