The Trine University women's volleyball team fell to Calvin College, 3-1, in a competitive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) match Tuesday night in Hershey Hall.
The Thunder challenged the number one team in the country all evening. The first set was a back-and-forth affair. Trine got a little breathing room late in the set, taking a 20-16 lead. Calvin clawed back to within one (22-21), but the Thunder scored the last four points of the set, winning 25-21. It was just the ninth set Calvin has lost all season and only the second set has taken from Calvin in the last four years.
The second set, like the first, was closely contested throughout, even though Calvin never relinquished the lead. The Thunder got within one point multiple times, but every time they closed in, the Knights would pull away again. After Trine scored two in a row to trim its deficit to 20-18, Calvin scored five of the last six points, putting away the Thunder, 25-19.
The third set started off much like the first two sets, with the two teams trading points. After Trine tied the set at eight, Calvin scored three straight points. The Thunder got back to within two (11-9), but the Knights once again scored three straight points, and never led by less than five the rest of the set, winning 25-17.
The fourth and final set followed a similar pattern to the third. After Trine drew even with Calvin, 8-8, the Knight scored three straight. When the Thunder answered with a point to make it 11-9, Calvin scored four in a row, and Trine never got within less than five points the rest of the set, as the Knights took it, 25-19.
The Thunder had a strong offensive performance. Sophomore Madison Munger (Indianapolis / Franklin Central) led the team with 12 kills. Senior Shannon Scott (Vicksburg, Mich. / Vicksburg) and freshman Kendra Nicley (Lebanon / Western Boone) each added eight while freshman Alyvia Sundheimer (Franklin / Franklin Community) had seven and sophomore Sarah Toles (Kendallville / East Noble) had six.
Scott finished with an impressive .533 hitting percentage, and Munger checked in with a solid .379 hitting percentage. As a team, Trine topped .400 in two out of four sets. They finished the match with a robust .305 hitting percentage, a match best for the season.
Senior Raven Hood (Monroe, Mich. / Airport) led the Thunder with 19 assists, and junior Alexa Ratkowski (Bronson, Mich. / Bronson) added 13.
On the defensive side, Senior Morgan Harris (Crown Point / Merrillville) paced Trine with two solo blocks and three block assists. Scott also had a solo block, and Sundheimer and Nicley each had two block assists. Sophomore Linsay DeCamp (New Haven / New Haven) led the team with 12 digs.
For the Knights, Anna Kamp led the way with 24 kills, and Sarah DeVries finished with 20 kills and 33 assists.
Calvin improves to 14-0 on the season and 3-0 in the MIAA. The Thunder fall to 8-9 overall and 1-3 in conference play. Trine returns to action Friday, October 5, when they host MIAA rival Hope. The match is slated to start at 6:30 PM.
