HOLLAND, Mich. – The Trine University women's volleyball team traveled to the #3 ranked Hope College on Wednesday night and suffered a three-set loss. The Thunder now hold a record of 8-13 overall and are 1-5 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play. The Flying Dutch win their fourth straight match and move to 17-1 and remain unbeaten at 5-0 in conference action.
After falling behind slightly at the start of the match, Trine remained steadfast and a combined block by Madison Dominick and Francesca Queary helped to give momentum to the visitors and the Thunder took their first lead of the night at 16-15 a few moments later. From there, neither side would claim more than a two-point lead as it required extra points to find a winner in the first.
Cassidy Victor and Olivia Jolliffe were the catalysts offensively with the set on the line as they combined for five of the team's final six kills in the set. However, facing set point, it was Dominick who scored to tie the score at 24 with a kill. Jolliffe and Victor would follow that with kills that kept Trine in front, but ultimately Hope scored four of the final five points to sneak away with the 30-28 set one win.
After struggling with the Thunder in the first set, the Flying Dutch ran away with set two, 25-8. Hope rattled off eight in a row to start the second but a pair of aces by Catherine Dobies and three consecutive kills off the hand of Dominick made it 9-6. The Flying Dutch scored 13 in a row from there to pull away to the sizable win.
Trine got off to a good start in the third set 5-1 before Hope would get back to even at 7-7. Aces by Jolliffe and Rachel Campbell helped the Thunder to regain the lead 15-11, but once more the Flying Dutch would answer. Lindsey Call set up Victor for a kill to get back in front 19-18, but that would be the final lead Trine would hold in the 25-20 set three loss.
Dominick led the team with nine kills in the match and Anna Zellers was credited with 14 assists. Dobies served three aces and dug out 13 opposing attacks to pace the squad.
In ten days, Trine is back in action at the DePauw Tri-match. The Thunder face Kenyon College and DePauw University on Saturday, October 28 beginning at 2 p.m.
