UD Volleyball Unable to Keep up with No. 2 Trinity University in Road Twinbill
(Photo Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
SAN ANTONIO – The University of Dallas volleyball team dropped its doubleheader at No. 2 Trinity University this past Saturday. The Crusaders were swept in both matches, as they dropped to 1-7 overall and against the conference. Trinity improved to 8-2 on the year and have only fallen to fellow SCAC school No. 1 Colorado College.
Match 1 (Set Scores: 9-25, 16-25, 10-25)
The Tigers were in control in the first set, scoring seven-of-10 points to start the match. The lead eventually grew 18-7. After a kill by Abigail Porras (El Paso, Texas) out of a UD timeout ended the surge, the Tigers went on a 6-1 run to claim the set.
In the second set, the Crusaders posted 10 kills and totaled their highest point total in a set this match, but another slow start was too much to overcome. Trinity started with a 9-3 lead, and the Crusaders answered with a 7-1 streak to knot the score at 10. The Tigers grabbed the next three points and six-of-seven to go back on top for good. The home team scored the next five points to go up nine. UD rattled four straight points with a kill by Isabel Garcia (San Antonio, Texas), service ace by Elise Anable (Phoenix, Ariz.), and consecutive kills from Faith Daniels (San Antonio Texas) to close the gap to five (21-16), but Trinity finished the set to go up 2-0.
The last set saw UD score twice to start but then six straight points helped spark an eventual lead as big as 13 (22-9) and earn the sweep.
Cassie Dyoub (Frisco, Texas) was the top hitter with six kills. Paiten Baesa (Rockwall, Texas) and Larissa Ramirez (San Antonio, Texas) combined for 15 assists with eight and seven, respectively. The team had 32 digs.
Trinity posted 41 kills, with a set-best 16 in the first one. Avery Tuggle was the top hitter with 10 kills in 18 total attacks and had one error. Lexie Acevedo and Marisa Amarino posted 17 and 14 assists, respectively, for a balanced effort on passes from the setters.
Match 2 (Set Scores: 21-25, 12-25, 13-25)
The Crusaders competed better in the second matchup of the day, as they started with 12 kills and outdid Trinity by two in that set. Things were back-and-forth on the scoreboard as the teams tied 15 times and largest point-spread was three until the final score. Dallas had the three-point lead at 13-10 when Porras, Garcia, and Anable hit back-to-back-to-back kills. Savannah Walker (San Antonio, Texas) was on serve for two of those points. The Tigers countered with three straight points and UD never led by more than a point. After sides traded until it was 20-all, the Tigers got two points that were part of a 5-1 run to win the set. An attack error made it 22-21, but then the last three points started by a Tuggle kill ended things.
The second set was all Trinity from the outset, as the home team scored four points to start and grew its advantage to 17-6. Dallas cut the deficit to nine (19-10), but were unable to come any closer.
A couple Trinity miscues on sets gave UD a 2-0 edge, but then a 9-0 run pushed the Tigers in front early on. Dyoub put down a kill and then Rachael Firm delivered two straight kills that helped UD charge back into the set. Chloe Ilagan (Sugar Land, Texas) was on serve during the run that made it 9-8, and had the final point of that surge on an ace. The Tigers scratched out the next couple of points and Despite UD staying within three points early, the score eventually went to 18-11 and then 22-12 for double-digits. Walker had the last Dallas point on a kill to make it 22-13, but Trinity closed the sweep with two kills by Tuggle and an ace in between.
Garcia was the team leader in kills with seven and had a .333 kill percentage. Dallas combined for 27 kills with the next highest individual with four. Ramirez posted 10 assists and Moriah Delgado (Fort Worth, Texas) posted a team-high 13 digs.
Tuggle paced the Tigers offense again with 13 kills, and Sarah Flynn chipped in seven. Acevedo and Amarino each had exactly 16 assists. The defense only had 38 digs, but the block was effective with seven total as a team. The individuals had 12 block assists combined.
Dallas is on the road again this Saturday, March 27 at Centenary College. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. and game two will be at 4 p.m.