GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Trine University women's volleyball team lost in straight sets on Tuesday to the seventh-ranked team in NCAA DIII heading into the day in Calvin University. The Thunder fall to 8-9 overall and 1-3 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. The Knights of Calvin are now 14-3 and 2-1 in conference action.
The first set was the closest of the evening with both teams throwing down 13 kills. Trine ultimately fell 25-22, but Olivia Jolliffe had a couple of kills early to give the Thunder a 4-1 advantage. The lead would remain all the way to 10-7, but from there Calvin would rattle off five in a row to take control.
Lindsey Call helped orchestrate the offense from the setter position to get back into it and a kill by Cassidy Victor but Trine back on top 15-14. Madison Dominick sparked a scoring run late where Trine would climb out of the hole to tie the set up at 22, but the final three points went to the Knights.
Calvin would flex their muscles in the second set and display why they are nationally-ranked in the second and third sets with sizable wins in each. The Knights rattled off a 25-13 victory in the second after going up 8-2 as well as 18-6. Dominick three kills in the set, including two during a 7-2 scoring run for the Thunder, but the final five points went the way of the home team.
The dominance continued in the third set as Calvin won the set 25-15 and the match 3-0. On the back of 19 kills in the third, the Knights thwarted the comeback attempt by Trine in the set. Julia Maggio had two of the team's five kills overall in the third.
In total, Dominick's six kills paced the squad with Anna Zellers distributing a team-high 10 assists. Catherine Dobies was consistent in the back row with 10 digs in the match. Meara Finnegan chipped in on three of the teams four blocks on the night.
The Thunder kick-off a three-match weekend on Friday, October 13 with a conference affair at Saint Mary's College beginning at 7 p.m.