SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Trinity University volleyball team opened up its annual Fall Classic over the Labor Day Weekend winning all four of their matches.
However, it was what happened before a match with ninth-ranked Wisconsin-Platteville that mattered most.
Prior to the start of the match with Wisconsin-Platteville, an emotional tribute was held before more than 2,000 Tiger volleyball fans in a packed Sams Gym, honoring the late mother and sister of Catharine Found, from Iowa City, Iowa. She suffered the loss of both within the past month.
"I can't even tell you how incrediable our crowd was," said Trinity head coach Julie Jenkins. "The crowd gave Catharine a five minute standing ovation when our team entered the gym to warmup and again during player announcements."
Purple T-shirts were given to spectators - with the words "Team Found" - as a representation of the fight against pancreatic cancer. Found's mother died of the illness a short time ago.
The Tigers will wear the purple T-shirts as their warm-up shirts during the 2011 season in memory of Found's mother's battle with pancreatic cancer.
In the match with Wisconsin-Platteville, Catharine Found tallied 12 kills while hitting .500 and blocked seven shots.
"I have no idea how she was even able to play, let alone play a match like that," said Jenkins. "It was just the best tribute for her and her family and we're so thrilled."
