LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The top three teams (Colorado College, Southwestern, Trinity) in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings are separated by just one game. Colorado College and Southwestern are 5-1 in SCAC play while Trinity sits a game back at 4-2.
AROUND THE SCAC
Austin College went 3-1 last week, topping LeTourneau, Centenary and Dallas all by scores of 3-0 before falling 3-0 to No. 23-ranked Southwestern. The ‘Roos are now 12-9 overall and 2-4 in conference play this season. The ‘Roos opened the week with a 25-18, 25-11, 25-23 win over the Jackets before hosting the second SCAC weekend of the year, where they topped Centenary 25-13, 25-17, 25-22 and Dallas 25-15, 25-21, 25-13 on Saturday before falling 19-25, 16-25, 21-25 to the Pirates on Sunday. Adrienne Reynolds continued her outstanding season, averaging 7.58 digs per set while adding eight kills, a team-high .538 attack percentage and six service aces. Shelby Eaves led the team with an average of 3.83 kills per set and added 4.42 digs per set and Kelly McDaniel posted averaged of 10.33 assists and 3.42 digs per set.
Centenary’s struggles continue on the
court, still looking for its first win of the year. The Ladies
dropped four matches this week, all 3-0, and haven’t won a
set since Sept. 11 against Mississippi College. The Ladies are 0-19
overall and 0-6 in the SCAC. The Ladies take a break from
conference play Oct. 11, hosting Rust College and UT Tyler in their
third tri-match.
No. 20 Colorado College went a perfect 3-0 over the
weekend as it resumed SCAC action in Sherman, Texas. The Tigers
began the weekend with a tough 3-2 victory over the University of
Dallas and finished the weekend with a pair of 3-0 sweeps over No.
23 Southwestern University and Trinity University. Senior Laura
Goldsmith finished the weekend becoming the first-ever CC
volleyball player to hit the 2,000 career dig mark on her ninth dig
of the game against Trinity. Goldsmith currently holds the
career-dig record with 2,013 career digs. The senior led the team
over the weekend with 62 digs, 43 kills and five service aces.
Freshman Emily Phillips was strong on the outside for the Tigers
with 56 digs and 40 kills, while senior Kate Squires ran the
offense with 81 assists. CC returns home as it hosts three teams
during non-conference play. The Tigers take on Claremont Colleges
at 3 p.m. and Baker University at 5 p.m. on Friday. CC finishes the
weekend against Whittier College at 10 a.m. on
Saturday.
Dallas (13-10, 2-4 SCAC) went 3-2 on the week, including
1-2 in SCAC play. On Thursday in Irving, Texas, the Crusaders
dismissed Arlington Baptist College and Rust College each in three
sets. Coach Howard's squad then headed to Sherman, Texas, to
compete over the weekend in SCAC competition. Dallas fell twice on
Saturday -- 3-2 to Colorado College and 3-0 to host Austin College.
The tide turned for the Crusaders on Sunday, as the team managed a
3-0 victory over Centenary College of Louisiana. On tap this week
for Dallas are five matches, including 'senior day' festivities on
Tuesday vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Friday
brings Providence College (Canada) and Johnson & Whales
University, while Saturday's home matches include Lyon College and
Lindenwood University-Belleville.
No. 23 Southwestern went 2-2 on the weekend at SCAC
action to improve to 14-6 on the year and 5-1 in the SCAC. After an
off-weekend Southwestern took on St. Edward's University on
Wednesday night for a refresher match and looked strong against the
Division II program, forcing five sets but ultimately fell 3-2. The
Pirates opened the SCAC weekend with #22 Colorado College and were
their own worst enemy as they hit .070 and posted 15 total
blocking, serving, receiving and ball handling errors in the match,
falling 3-0. SU rebounded well with a marathon match with Trinity.
Southwestern started slow but were consistent the rest of the way
to win 3-2. On Sunday the Pirates showed signs of their true self
with a 3-0 win over Austin College. SU maintains a high level of
competition as they head to Boston, Mass. to compete in the Beacons
Invitational. There they will face tough national competition
including #5 Christopher Newport.
Trinity finished 1-3 over the past week of play,
which included a 1-2 record at the SCAC Divisional Tournament in
Sherman, Texas. The Tigers lost a 3-2 rematch with Texas Lutheran
on Wednesday night, then opened conference action with a 3-0 win
over Centenary. Against Southwestern, Trinity took the opening set
29-27, but then lost the next two to fall behind. The Tigers forced
a deciding set with a 25-21 win in the fourth, but fell short in a
3-2 loss to the nationally-ranked Pirates. Trinity finished the
weekend with a 3-0 loss to Colorado College, and the two teams have
now split matches on the season. On Saturday, Meredith Erwin
recorded a career-best 34 digs against Southwestern, then followed
that with 12 digs against Colorado College on Sunday. With her
final dig, Erwin broke Trinity’s career record for digs,
passing the record set by Maggie Chang from 2001-04. Trinity
returns home this weekend for the Trinity Fall Classic Tournament
on Friday and Saturday. The Tigers take on Our Lady of the Lake
University and Bethel College on Friday, followed by a Saturday
afternoon match against Central (Iowa) College.
For the complete SCAC Spikes Weekly for Week 6,
click here.
