Win over Schreiner gets Volleyball 5th Seed in SCAC Tournament; Split Sunday
KERRVILLE, Texas – The University of Dallas (13-17, 5-9 SCAC) captured a necessary win over host school Schreiner University (3-23, 0-14 SCAC) in day two of the conference cross-divisional and avoid an 0-4 weekend. The victory secured the fifth seed in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) that will be held in Shreveport, Louisiana, from November 4-5.
Dallas tied Texas Lutheran University in league play, but won the tie breaker thanks to the big win at home versus Austin College earlier this month. The 'Roos finished fourth place, and UD's win gave it a victory against the higher placed opponent compared to the Bulldogs.
Sunday morning, No. 18 Trinity University (22-6, 13-1 SCAC) swept the Crusaders in straight sets.
MATCH VS. NO. 18 TRINITY UNVIERSITY
Set Scores: L 3-0 | (18-25, 16-25, 13-25)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dallas kept up with the eventual SCAC Regular Season Champions – a Trinity win over Austin College later that day and Southwestern University loss secured the spot – but were unable to maintain momentum throughout the sets.
The opening frame started with the Crusaders notching the first three points, but Trinity quickly answered with two. After a kill by Mairin Guilfoyle (Roanoke, Va.), the Tigers erupted for a 9-0 run and led by as many as nine (19-10). UD had a response with seven straight, which included five attack errors in a row by the opposition. Elizabeth Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla.) capped the run on a kill.
In the second set, Dallas gained the early advantage on consecutive kills by Kyndal Miller (Crockett, Texas) and Guilfoyle. UD's team leader in kills punched her second in a row after Trinity got on the board, but a run of six straight points switch the lead in favor for the top 25 opponent. The Crusaders cut the margin to 7-6, but Trinity pulled away with four straight and extended the edge throughout the remainder of the set.
In the final set, the first two points went to the Navy and White. The first 18 points were back-and-forth with five ties and the lone lead change. Trinity rattled five points in a row from the 9-9 juncture and took control for a straight set win.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
-Guilfoyle led Dallas with 11 kills. No one else had over five on the squad.
- Jessie Koster (Sherwood, Ore.) produced 21 digs to lead the defense. UD made 59 as a team.
- Smith notched 19 of the 22 overall assists for Dallas.
- Trinity hit a .353(14-34) kill percentage in the second set.
- Madeline McKay led the Tigers' offense with eight kills. Maggi Linker contributed seven. Kirby Smith and Lauren Skrobarczyk added six apiece.
- Erika Edrington gave 21 assists.
- The Tigers lifted 66 digs with Sarah Mullens leading a trio of double-digit performances with 15.
MATCH VS. SCHREINER UNIVERSITY
Set Scores: W 3-1 | (19-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-21)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Crusaders allowed the home team to score twice early in the first set, but nipped that edge with four of the next five points awarded. Up 7-5, the Mountaineers shifted the momentum with a 6-1 run and a five-point scoring streak. A kill by UD's Mary Scholz (Fallon, Nev.) ended the streak, but Schreiner kept scoring with another four-point stretch. That opened a six-point advantage (14-8). Dallas worked the deficit down to two points (19-17), but SU took the first set by closing out a 6-2 run.
In the next set, Dallas trailed 5-1 before a Scholz kill and Guilfoyle service ace sparked a 4-0 run to knot the scoreboard again. Each side traded points with Schreiner going back up two points briefly (8-6). From that point, the Crusaders rattled off a six-point scoring streak to go back in front 12-8. Up by four (15-11), Schreiner forced a timeout by the visitors after three straight points. Dallas never relinquished the advantage and eventually evened the set scores 1-1 by closing out the second on a 6-2 scoring swing of its own.
Three miscues for Schreiner started the third set, but then the Crusaders had a couple in a row to allow the first lead change. After four straight ties, Dallas broke through with three straight points as part of a 4-0 run and led 11-8. The Mountaineers scored a point next, and then UD compiled a 12-7 scoring stretch to reflect a 23-16 lead. Schreiner countered with three points, but Dallas tallied the set win.
In the final set, Dallas scored three of the first four points before the lead diminished to a 4-4 tie. Five points in a row, which included kills from Diana Hassink (Tulsa, Okla.) and Scholz, shifted the momentum for the Navy and White. Schreiner tried to keep within reach, but the Crusaders advantage eventually grew to eight (17-9). That was the largest difference on the scoreboard in the match. The Mountaineers clawed back three on a few occasions near the end of the frame, but never any closer as UD snapped a three-game slide.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Dallas hit a .357 (13-28) kill percentage in the fourth set.
- Guilfoyle was one of two Crusaders in double-digits for kills by tying a game-high 16. That mark is fourth time the outside hitter has earned that amount. She eclipsed double figure kills the past three matches this weekend and has done so in 10-of-12 contests.
- Guilfoyle moved up in the record books with her latest game's result. She now ranks 4th with 1,199.
- Hassink also broke double-digits with 10 kills. Scholz chipped in seven and Miller had six.
- Smith posted 33 assists.
- Koster led the defense with her second 21 digs performance that day.
- Schreiner edged UD 62-58 in digs.
- Delanie Cauthen was the other player with 16 kills and Alyx Kruse just missed double-digits with nine. Ashley Myers posted 30 assists.
- The home team hit a .324 (13-24) kill percentage in the opening set won.
UP NEXT
Dallas wraps up the regular season with a pair of non-conference games at hosted McMurry University. The triangular takes place on October 29. The Crusaders will face Howard Payne University on the neutral court at 1 p.m. and then host McMurry afterwards.