Posted: Sep 30, 2013
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The Trinity Tigers not only ran their winning streak to eight after picking up four wins at the SCAC Cross Divisional, they almost snapped Colorado College's school record 17-game winning streak to start the season as Trinity took a thrilling 3-2 match on Sunday. Colorado College, Southwestern, and Texas Lutheran all finished 3-1 on the weekend.
AROUND THE SCAC
The Austin College volleyball team went 1-3
at last weekend’s SCAC event in Georgetown, topping Schreiner
3-2 but falling to Southwestern 3-0, Trinity 3-1, and Texas
Lutheran 3-2. The ‘Roos are now 12-11 overall this season.
Shelby Eaves led the ‘Roos with an average of 3.94 kills per
set and added 3.71 digs per set, and Rachel Fusselman continued her
strong defensive play with 4.76 digs per set and only six reception
errors. Kelsey Klingler averaged a team-best 7.94 assists per set
and added 3.06 digs per set, and Madison Lee averaged 1.71 kills
per set while Reygan Holloman had 15 total blocks for an average of
0.88 per set for the weekend.
Centenary went 0-5 on the week, including four conference losses at the SCAC Cross Divisional. Sarah Sumner led the Ladies with 34 kills in the five matches over the week with 31 coming at the divisional at Southwestern. Beth Nuttall posted the highest attack percentage during the week at .317. The senior had 15 kills and four aces. Nuttall also dished out 91 assists to pace the squad and recorded 36 digs during the stretch. Brooke Bahlinger led the defensive charge with 56 digs for the week. Centenary opens its home slate on Tuesday, Oct. 1 as the Ladies host East Texas Baptist at 6 p.m. The match is the first of two at the Gold Dome this week as LeTourneau comes to town on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match.
No. 10 Colorado College won three of four matches last weekend, but saw its school-record season-opening 17-match winning streak come to an end. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Hahn fueled CC’s four-set victory over host Southwestern on Saturday with career highs of 16 kills and 20 digs. Freshman outside hitter Abbe Holtze added 13 kills and 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Sophomore libero Sophie Merrifield set a career high with 36 digs against the Pirates. Senior middle hitter Kristen Liberty had a sizzling .727 attack percentage as the Tigers began the weekend with a sweep of Schreiner, leading both teams with nine kills and just a single error in 11 attempts. Trinity handed 10th-ranked Colorado College its first loss of the season on Sunday in the first showdown between the volleyball rivals since the 2012 SCAC championship match, which CC won in straight sets at Reid Arena. Sophomores Courtney Birkett, Emily Phillips and Hahn combined for 35 kills, including 12 apiece by Birkett and Hahn, against TU. Junior middle hitter Randi Braak had a hand in four blocks to lead the defense. Hahn, who also collected 10 digs for her second double-double in as many days, added 13 more kills as the Tigers bounced back for a 3-1 triumph over Texas Lutheran immediately after their first loss. Merrifield recorded 29 digs against the Bulldogs, her seventh match with more than 20 this season. CC steps outside conference play next Friday and Saturday when Hamline University, the University of La Verne and Nebraska Wesleyan University visit Reid Arena.
The Dallas volleyball team (7-12, 1-6 SCAC) went 0-4 in conference action over the weekend in Georgetown, Texas. On Saturday, the Crusaders were defeated by Trinity (17-25, 19-25, 25-25) and Texas Lutheran (16-25, 17-25, 16-25). Sunday proved tough-sledding as well, as Amy Byfield’s squad was defeated by Schreiner (21-25, 19-25, 17-25) and then Southwestern (18-25, 11-25, 24-26). On the docket this week for Dallas are three home matches -- Johnson & Wales University-Colo. (Friday, 6 p.m.); Victory University-Tenn. (Saturday, 10 a.m.); Rust College-Miss. (Saturday, 4 p.m.).
Centenary went 0-5 on the week, including four conference losses at the SCAC Cross Divisional. Sarah Sumner led the Ladies with 34 kills in the five matches over the week with 31 coming at the divisional at Southwestern. Beth Nuttall posted the highest attack percentage during the week at .317. The senior had 15 kills and four aces. Nuttall also dished out 91 assists to pace the squad and recorded 36 digs during the stretch. Brooke Bahlinger led the defensive charge with 56 digs for the week. Centenary opens its home slate on Tuesday, Oct. 1 as the Ladies host East Texas Baptist at 6 p.m. The match is the first of two at the Gold Dome this week as LeTourneau comes to town on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match.
No. 10 Colorado College won three of four matches last weekend, but saw its school-record season-opening 17-match winning streak come to an end. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Hahn fueled CC’s four-set victory over host Southwestern on Saturday with career highs of 16 kills and 20 digs. Freshman outside hitter Abbe Holtze added 13 kills and 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Sophomore libero Sophie Merrifield set a career high with 36 digs against the Pirates. Senior middle hitter Kristen Liberty had a sizzling .727 attack percentage as the Tigers began the weekend with a sweep of Schreiner, leading both teams with nine kills and just a single error in 11 attempts. Trinity handed 10th-ranked Colorado College its first loss of the season on Sunday in the first showdown between the volleyball rivals since the 2012 SCAC championship match, which CC won in straight sets at Reid Arena. Sophomores Courtney Birkett, Emily Phillips and Hahn combined for 35 kills, including 12 apiece by Birkett and Hahn, against TU. Junior middle hitter Randi Braak had a hand in four blocks to lead the defense. Hahn, who also collected 10 digs for her second double-double in as many days, added 13 more kills as the Tigers bounced back for a 3-1 triumph over Texas Lutheran immediately after their first loss. Merrifield recorded 29 digs against the Bulldogs, her seventh match with more than 20 this season. CC steps outside conference play next Friday and Saturday when Hamline University, the University of La Verne and Nebraska Wesleyan University visit Reid Arena.
The Dallas volleyball team (7-12, 1-6 SCAC) went 0-4 in conference action over the weekend in Georgetown, Texas. On Saturday, the Crusaders were defeated by Trinity (17-25, 19-25, 25-25) and Texas Lutheran (16-25, 17-25, 16-25). Sunday proved tough-sledding as well, as Amy Byfield’s squad was defeated by Schreiner (21-25, 19-25, 17-25) and then Southwestern (18-25, 11-25, 24-26). On the docket this week for Dallas are three home matches -- Johnson & Wales University-Colo. (Friday, 6 p.m.); Victory University-Tenn. (Saturday, 10 a.m.); Rust College-Miss. (Saturday, 4 p.m.).
The Schreiner Mountaineers went 2-2 on the week. On Saturday, Schreiner was swept in match play by No. 10 Colorado College, 3-0, and Austin College, 3-2. On Sunday, the Mountaineers took two matches over Dallas and Centenary, sweeping both 3-0. Schreiner is idle and will take on Texas Lutheran on October 11th in Seguin.
Southwestern volleyball went 3-1 in SCAC action this weekend, hosting the SCAC Divisional on Saturday and Sunday. The Pirates opened with Austin College and, after starting slow, picked up steam to finish with the 3-0 win. Day one closed with a match-up against Colorado College. Despite an outstanding defensive effort by Chandler Lentz, Southwestern University could not catch the break they needed as they fell 3-1 to the #10 Tigers. Southwestern ran the table in day two matches with a pair of 3-0 wins over Centenary College and the University of Dallas. With the 3-1 outing the Pirates improve to 13-6 on the year and 5-2 in the SCAC. They return to non-conference play on Thursday, facing UT Dallas at 7 p.m. in Richardson, Texas.
The Texas Lutheran enjoyed a 3-1 weekend in Georgetown and stay among the top teams in the SCAC standings. The Texas Lutheran volleyball team started off a crucial four-match weekend with a pair of conference sweeps Saturday over Centenary and Dallas. As a team, the Bulldogs were running on all cylinders on their way to a season-high .330 hitting percentage against Centenary. Brette Threadgill kept her hot start going in the second match against Dallas, once again leading the way with 11 kills on some efficient .333 hitting. She finished the weekend with 25 kills (.352 hitting) to go along with seven digs and two blocks. On Sunday, the Bulldogs split a pair of matches, beating Austin College 3-2 before falling 3-1 to No. 10 Colorado College. Texas Lutheran was led against Austin College by its outside hitters Venicia Spencer and Brette Threadgill, who combined for 36 kills on .364 hitting. They were the only two Bulldogs to tally double-digit kills. The weekend concluded with a 22-25, 25-21, 15-25, 20-25 loss to No. 10-ranked Colorado College. The Bulldogs hit .153 as a team in that one, while Colorado College hit .160. Individually, TLU was led, once again, by Spencer and Threadgill.
Trinity swept the competition at the SCAC Cross Divisional over the weekend, highlighted by a 3-2 win over 10th-ranked Colorado College on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers have won eight consecutive matches, and remain unbeaten at 7-0 in SCAC play. Maryn Swierc moved up to seventh in school history for career assists, while also moving up to 18th in career digs at Trinity. Additionally, she is now ranked in the top 25 in career aces, recording her 103rd over the weekend. Maggie Emodi is just 78 kills from becoming the 15th player ever to reach 1,000 in a career, while middle blockers Kelsey Daniel and Erin Cusenbary are also climbing the all-time list in career blocks. Daniel is now 22nd in career blocks for the Tigers, while Cusenbary is now tied for 14th in school history. Trinity will play a single match this week, hosting Our Lady of the Lake University at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. The Tigers resume SCAC action next weekend in Seguin, Texas.
To view the entire SCAC Spike Weekly for week five, click here.
