ADRIAN, Mich. – The Trine University women's volleyball team began Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play on Tuesday night when the team traveled to Adrian College to take on the Bulldogs. In a rematch of the 2021 MIAA Quarterfinals, the Thunder were defeated 3-1 this time around.
Overall, Trine is now 6-6 and fall to 0-1 in league action. Adrian sits at 8-5 following the win and puts one in the win column in their first conference match. The Thunder won the battle at the net with six total blocks, but the team struggled to bring in opposing serves and hit a negative percentage in the loss (-.042)
In set number one, a kill by Joey VanMeter gave Trine a 10-8 advantage and they would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the first. The Thunder would go on a 5-0 run later on to go up 21-14, highlighted by a pair of service aces by Kacie Van Kalker. The Bulldogs fought their way back and got to within one point at 24-23, but a bad set gave the visitors the win 25-23 in the first.
Francesca Queary started the Trine scoring in the second with a solo block, but a scoring run by Adrian put them up 12-6. Catherine Dobies recorded a pair of late kills, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs went on to tie the match at one with a 25-16 victory.
The third set was much more of a back-and-forth affair, but six of the final seven points of the third belonged to Adrian in the set to go up 2-1 with a 25-18 win. Dobies and Queary each had a couple of kills to lead the offense and Anna Loughrey and Meara Finnegan were credited with block assists.
Trine scored the first three points of the fourth, including a block by Dobies and Finnegan, but from there it was all Bulldogs. Madison Dominick secured three kills in the set to pace the Thunder, however Adrian would end up on top 25-14 at the end of the set.
Van Kalker had 24 of the team's 90 digs in the match. Joslynn Battle (17), Rachel Campbell (10) and Olivia Jolliffe (10) were all in double figures in the category as well. Battle dished out a team-high 12 assists and Dobies led the team with eight kills.
Saturday, September 24 marks the team's next matches – a tri-match at Albion College where Trine will take on the Britons at 11 am and Franklin College at 1 pm.