INDIANAPOLIS, IND.-- Trine is ranked sixth in the Great Lakes Region in the first official NCAA Division III Volleyball Regional Rankings, released Thursday.
The NCAA Regional Rankings are the official rankings used to determine seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The Thunder are one of 64 teams in the nation to receive a regional ranking, and one of seven in the Great Lakes Region. Trine holds a 21-4 record overall, and has clinched a third-place finish in the MIAA with a 10-4 league mark. All four losses have been to teams currently ranked in the top three in the nation. The 21 wins mark the most by a Trine team since 1999, with the 10 MIAA-wins tying for the highest total since the school joined the conference in 2004. The Thunder have four regular-season matches remaining, including two MIAA matches. The regional rankings reflect matches played through Monday.
Contributing to Trine's regional ranking is a 19-4 record against regional opponents. Thunder regional opponents have recorded a cumulative winning-percentage of .568. Trine's .559 strength of schedule ranks sixth of the seven teams ranked in the Great Lakes Region.
Click Here for NCAA Division III Volleyball Regional Rankings.
Leading the attack this season has been Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central), who is averaging 3.62 kills per set. That mark ranks fourth in the MIAA. Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) is averaging a career-best 2.44 kills per set. Olivia Deck (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) has hit a career-high .218 and is averaging 1.64 kills per set.
Setting the attack has been Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey), who has been named MIAA Specialist of the Week three times this season. The senior averages 8.59 assists, 3.23 digs and 2.01 kills per set.
Freshman Mikayla Carpenter (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North) has stepped into the libero role seamlessly, and is averaging the second-most digs in the MIAA at 4.88 per set. As a team, the Thunder rank second in the conference in digs per set (16.85).
Trine leads the MIAA in service aces per set at a 2.20 clip. Lauren Verkamp's 0.48 aces per set rank second in the conference, while Megan Verkamp's (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) 0.43 service aces per set rank fifth. The Thunder are the only team with two players ranking in the top five of the conference in that category.
Trine will host Olivet next Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the final home match of the season for the Thunder.