HOLLAND, Mich. - It was a battle for the Trine University volleyball team today as they faced two teams ranked in the top-12 in a tri-match hosted by Hope College. In the opener, the Thunder fell to No. 5 Hope 3-0 (25-9, 25-22, 25-11) and then 3-0 to No. 12 University of Chicago (25-19, 25-15, 27-25). The Thunder are now 3-5 on the year.
It was a tough start to the day for the Thunder, falling behind early to the Flying Dutch as they opened the match on an 11-1 run. Trine was unable to recover from there, dropping the first set.
The Thunder put up a fight in the second set as they jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Hope would go on a run of their own before the Thunder battled back to retake an 18-16 lead. From there, Hope would hold off the Thunder to take the set.
After falling behind early in the third set, the Thunder did their best to make a comeback but were unable take a lead as they closed the gap to just a point early on.
In the second game of the day, the Thunder came out ready to go as they battled the Maroons early on exchanging leads. With Trine up by one, 14-13, Chicago went on a five point run to take the lead for good.
The second set was a tough one for the Thunder as Chicago led from start to finish. In the third and final set, Trine gave Chicago all it could handle. After trading points to open the set, Chicago would take a six point lead 19-13. The Thunder would pull together a rally late in the set scoring five straight to come within one at 22-21. From there the teams would slug it out as Trine tied the game at 23. The Thunder would come back twice to tie it after Chicago had match point. In the end, Chicago would take the final two points to snatch the set away from the Thunder.
Junior Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) finished the match with her sixth double-double of the season with 18 assists and 15 digs.
On the day for Trine, sophomore twin sisters Megan and Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) led the Thunder with 10 and seven kills respectively. Lauren also finished with 10 digs. Sophomore Stephanie Radandt (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn) and freshman Marissa German (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) each finished with five kills. Searles wrapped up the afternoon with 33 assists and 23 digs. Senior Carlee Felber (Newman, Calif./Orestimba) led the Thunder with 28 digs and three aces for day.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Thunder as they host MIAA preseason favorite and No. 2 ranked Calvin College on Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m.