LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Late Friday night, the Trine University women's volleyball team dropped their season opener in straight sets to Augustana College in the Forester Invitational.
The Thunder (0-1) were held to just 25 kills on the night and made 24 errors (.011 hitting percentage). The Vikings (2-0) used scoring runs at the beginning of each set to put Trine in a whole right from the jump.
Kailee Cornell found Olivia Jolliffe for the team's first point of the 2022 campaign, but a six-point swing for Augustana made it 10-3 in the early goings. Back-to-back kills from Catherine Dobies and Madison Dominick built some momentum for the Thunder, but they were unable to tie the set up and an ace a few points later made it 19-13 Vikings. Augustana would go on to claim set one by a score of 25-17.
Dominick, Cassidy Victor and Meara Finnegan sparked a run early in the second set with a trio of kills, but once again, the team got close but could not break through to take a lead. Down 11-9, Trine found themselves on the wrong side of a 6-0 run that allowed Augustana to get ahead, 17-9. The Thunder ultimately fell in set two as well, 25-16.
Unfortunately, the Vikings tallied the first seven points of the third set and gave themselves a huge advantage. Jocelynn Nicholls entered the match and made some noise with a pair of kills to put Trine on the board in the third. Down 21-14, Dobies recorded a kill, followed by two service aces and an Augustana error to start a rally, but it was not enough as the Vikings took the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
Sophomore Kacie Van Kalker led the way in the back row with 11 digs, the only Thunder student-athlete in double figures on the night. Dominick had a big impact on the match in the front row with a team-high six kills and four block assists, as well as the back row with four digs. Cornell and Joslynn Battle had nine assists each to tie for the team lead.
Trine has a chance for redemption tomorrow when they take on Lakeland University at 12 pm EST and Illinois Institute of Technology at 4 pm EST.
