ANGOLA, Ind. -- The Trine University women's volleyball team came up with a 3-0 victory over visiting Kalamazoo College to finish off the season with a win in the consolation bracket of the 2020-21 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Volleyball Tournament.
The Thunder started the first game on a 6-0 before the Hornets responded with a 5-1 run of their own. Trine would lead throughout the game but the opposition stayed close and the final score would go down as 25-20.
Trine's run in the second came much later with the Hornets holding a 12-10 lead in the game. It was then that the Thunder went on a 9-1 run to take a 19-13 lead. They looked set to cruise to a win as they held a 22-16 lead, but Kalamazoo roared back with an 8-1 run to force a game point at 24-23. Trine tied the contest 24-24 and then had four game points of their own, converting on the last to take the game 29-27.
The third game of the match had another close start with the team tied at 15-15, before the Thunder went on a 7-2 run to take a 22-17 lead. They would finish off the match with three straight points to take the game 25-19 and the match 3-0.
Senior Sarah Toles (Kendallville, Ind. / East Noble) finished her senior season with perhaps the best performance of her career offensively. She led the team with 16 kills and a .448 hitting percentage while also coming in with three total blocks. Classmate Madison Munger (Indianapolis, Ind. / Franklin Central) also turned in a stellar performance finishing with 14 kills and a .314 hitting percentage.
A balanced defensive performance had four different Thunder finish with ten or more digs. Sophomore Paris Outwater (Bronson, Mich. / Bronson) led the way with 17. Senior Jacqueline Baughman (Lake Orion, Mich. / Lutheran Northwest) led the team with 39 assists and four service aces.
Trine finishes the season with an 8-5 overall record having gone 3-4 in MIAA play.