Volleyball earns win in home tournament
Sophomore, Jenny Epperson, serves the ball in the first round of a three-day tournament last weekend. Photo by James Shultz.
This past weekend, Trinity University Volleyball hosted its first home tournament of the season, the Trinity National Invitational. The Tigers hosted #4 Christopher Newport, #5 Emory, UC-Santa Cruz, and Concordia. After losing to Christopher Newport to begin the tournament, the Tigers bounced back with a thrilling five-set victory over the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs. The team was aided in the second game by the return of junior setter Maryn Swierc, who has been sidelined with a stress fracture in her left foot. Swierc finished with 15 assists and seven digs in her 2012 season debut. Swierc continues to battle the fracture and did not play the rest of the tournament and her status remains up in the air for the team’s first conference tournament this weekend. However, Swierc was glad to make an appearance in front of the home crowd.
“I thought it was great. I love it when people come to watch. It’s just really cool to see a student body supporting our athletics. It makes our games more fun and more exciting when people are cheering and getting excited,” said Swierc.
Day two of the tournament saw the Tigers lose a tough, five-set battle to fifth-ranked Emory after jumping out to a two set lead. Nevertheless, Swierc is encouraged by the team’s performance.
“There wasn’t a point where we weren’t hanging with them. Overall, the weekend was good because it showed we are just as good as #5. Obviously, we wanted to go 4-0, but we made strides,” said Swierc.
The team finished the tournament with a four-set victory over Concordia. Sophomore Layne Hubbard and senior Meredith Erwin won the SCAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week respectively for their performances in the tournament. Hubbard was proud to receive the honor.
“It was a big honor and I am happy to receive it. Hopefully, I’ll keep getting more stuff like that,” said Hubbard.
The team now begins preparations for the first SCAC tournament of the season Sep. 21-22 at Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. They will face conference foes Colorado College, University of Dallas, and Austin College. First-year Megan Reynolds feels confident in her team’s ability to win all three games.
“I’m really excited for the first SCAC tournament. I feel now that we’ve turned the corner where we’ve gotten our first wins, I don’t think we’re going to stop winning now,” Reynolds said.
The Tigers will have their next home games next week, Sep. 26-27, against Our Lady of the Lake University, Texas Lutheran University, and Schreiner University.
