SHERMAN, Texas -- Top-seeded Trinity University won its record 22nd Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball championship Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 victory over Southwestern University in the title match of the 2024 SCAC Volleyball Tournament on the campus of Austin College. Official Championships Website | Photo Album | Tournament Stats | Interview w/ Trinity Head Coach Julie Jenkins and tournament MVP fifth-year outside hitter Mackenzie Logan

Tournament MVP graduate outside hitter Mackenzie Logan had 12 kills and four blocks for Trinity and fellow all-tournament honoree graduate middle blocker Maddie Fate had nine kills and nine blocks, the fourth-most blocks ever in an SCAC tournament match.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Although Southwestern cut the lead to one at 17-16 and 19-18, Trinity, which hit 333 in the opening set, never trailed and took the first set, 25-20.
• In the second set, Southwestern took its first lead of the day at 4-3 and cruised to a 25-15 win to even the match at 1-1. With the score at 11-8, the Pirates ran off eight of the next nine points to lead 19-9 and were never seriously threatened from that point on. After hitting .140 in the opening set, Southwestern bounced back with a .323 performance in the second stanza.
• After Southwestern rocketed out to a 14-7 lead, lTrinity bounced back with 11 of the next 14 points to take its first lead since 2-1 at 18-17. From there, the score was knotted at 18, 19, 20 and 21 before Trinity scored four of the last five points to win the third set, 25-22.
• After the emotional come-from-behind third set win, Trinity cruised in the fourth, holding the Pirates to a -.086 hitting percentage en route to a match-clinching 25-13 victory.
• Trinity outhit Southwestern .232 to .135 for the match.

TRINITY UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Mackenzie Logan: 12 kills, .250 attack percentage, 7 digs, 4 block assists
• Maddie Fate: 9 kills, .389 attack percentage, 9 block assists
• Courtney Pope: 14 kills, .257 attack percentage, 7 block assists
• Reagan Whatley: 6 kills, 9 digs
• Kendall DeRivel: 26 assists, 17 digs
• Jenna Rodriguez: 6 assists, 24 digs

SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Carly Berkman: 10 kills, 5 digs
• Christina Kuras: 10 kills, 3 block assists
• Emily Marks: 9 kills, 3 block assists
• Brooklyn Spikes: 7 kills, .316 attack percentage, 6 block assists
• Geneva Nedrow: 19 digs, 1 service ace
• Claire Romo: 18 assists, 3 service aces, 9 digs

NOTABLES

• The SCAC All-Tournament Team was announced following Sunday's championship match:
   - Mackenzie Logan, Gr., OH, Trinity (MVP)
   - Maddie Fate, Gr., MB, Trinity
   - Courtney Pope, So., MB, Trinity
   - Jenna Rodriguez, Jr., L, Trinity
   - Geneva Nedrow, Sr., DS/L, Southwestern
   - Christina Kuras, Sr. OH, Southwestern
   - Claire Romo, Sr., S, Southwestern
   - Kendall Howard, Sr., S, St. Thomas
   - Laynee Beam, Gr., MB/RS, St. Thomas
   - Rachel Sadler, So., OH, Austin College
   - Madison Manning, Jr., S, Austin College
• Saturday's title match was the 10th time the two SCAC powerhouses have met with the conference tournament title on the line, the most of any match-up in tournament history. With the victory, Trinity holds a 7-3 advantage in the tournament title game match-ups, and also leads the all-time tournament series with Southwestern, 12-5. 
• It also marked a record 23rd time Trinity has played in the conference tournament final and with Saturday's victory, the Tigers are now 15-8 all-time in those appearances. Seven of Trinity's 22 total conference championships came in the non-tournament era (2000-2006).

UP NEXT 
The 18th-ranked team in the nation in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll, Trinity (24-6) earns the SCAC automatic qualifier to the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship. Southwestern, which was ranked one slot behind Trinity in the AVCA Top 25 at 19th, falls to 23-6 and will await word of a possible at-large berth into the postseason. The SCAC has multiple teams earn bids to the NCAA Tournament 17 of the last 18 years a postseason tournament has been played. The NCAA tournament selection show for Division III volleyball is scheduled for Monday, November 18 at 1 p.m. Eastern.