ANGOLA, Ind.-- A balanced attack led Trine to a 25-20, 25-15, 25-23 sweep of Alma in MIAA-action Saturday afternoon in Hershey Hall.
Three players finished with seven or more kills as the Thunder hit .250 on the afternoon. Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) and Megan Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) paced the attack with eight kills apiece. Emma Bowman (Corvallis, Ore./St. Joseph) notched seven kills and added five blocks defensively. Kendall Sells and Maggie Miller each notched six kills to lead the Scots. Trine improved to 6-8 overall and 4-3 in the MIAA. Alma fell to 5-10 overall, 2-4 in conference matches.
Mikayla Carpenter (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North) notched a match-high 19 digs to help pace the Thunder defensive effort. Carpenter is now averaging 5.50 digs per set in conference play. Trine held the Scots to an .050 hitting percentage.
Trine jumped all over Alma early in the first set, racing out to a 12-2 lead. Three kills apiece from Rabel and Verkamp helped pace the hot start. The Scots pulled within four with a five-point run late, but Bowman put away the final kill for the set winner.
The second set featured another hot start for the Thunder as they earned the first five points of the set. Verkamp notched a kill and combined with Olivia Deck (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) on a block during that stretch. A later five-point run pushed the lead to nine. The lead would climb as high as 11 as Trine went up 2-0.
A five-point run opened up a 17-12 lead in the final set for the Thunder. The Scots closed the deficit to one on several occasions, but Trine had the answer to close out the three-set victory.
Trine will host conference-rival Calvin for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night this Wednesday, Sept. 30. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m.