ANGOLA, Ind.-- The Trine volleyball team will travel to MIAA Champion and fourth-ranked Calvin this Friday night in the MIAA Volleyball Semifinals.
The Thunder tied with Alma for fourth in the conference this season with an 8-8 mark in league matches. Trine won the tiebreaker with the Scots for the final playoff spot by virtue of having won more sets in head-to-head meetings between the two teams this season. Calvin cruised through the conference with a 16-0 mark in league action to win the regular-season title and earn the top seed in the MIAA Tournament. Friday night's match is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Van Noord Arena.
The Knights swept the season series from Trine with a pair of three-set victories. Senior Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) paced the Thunder attack in averaging two kills per set in the two matches. Laura Danhoff and Maggie Kamp paced Calvin in averaging 3.33 kills per set.
Janaya Wilder (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont) paced the Trine attack this season in averaging 2.25 kills per set. The freshman also gives the Thunder a threat from the service line, ranking second in the MIAA in averaging 0.53 service aces per set.
Rabel gives the Thunder a proven attack threat on the outside. The senior ranks third in Trine volleyball history with 1,104 career kills.
All-Americans Kamp and Danhoff pace the Knight attack. Kamp leads the MIAA in averaging 3.93 kills per set, while Danhoff adds a .363 hitting percentage that ranked 22nd nationally during the regular-season. As a team, Calvin ranks fourth in the nation in hitting percentage and seventh in kills per set.
Trine's setting efforts have been primarily split between Samantha Ihrie (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) and Megan Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community). Verkamp rotated into the role after spending her time as an outside hitter throughout her career. Calvin counters with Jenna Lodewyk, who ranks 22nd in the nation in assists per set. The Knights rank 12th in the nation in that category.
Mikayla Carpenter (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North) anchors the defensive efforts for the Thunder from the back row. Carpenter led the MIAA in digs per set in league matches for the second-consecutive season. Emma Bowman (Corvallis, Ore./Saint Joseph) and Olivia Deck (Lansing, Mich./Grand Ledge) pace a block that led Trine to ranking third in the MIAA in blocks per set.
Calvin held opponents to just a .104 hitting percentage during the season, a mark that ranked 15th in the nation. Knights' Keilahna Castillo paced the efforts from the back row in averaging 4.04 digs per set. Danhoff paced the blocking efforts at a clip of 0.71 blocks per set.
The winner of Friday's match advances to Saturday's MIAA Championship match, set to be hosted at Van Noord Arena.
