(Story Courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information Department)
HOBOKEN, N.J. - No. 2 Trinity University Volleyball collected its second sweep (25-23, 25-27, 25-18) in NCAA III Regional competition in as many matches Saturday evening over Middlebury College (VT).
The Tigers (33-2) collected another .300-plus performance in team hitting percentage to go along with 11 total blocks to execute the wire-to-wire victory, aided heavily by seniors outside hitter Avery Tuggle and middle blocker Emily Ellis who notched 13 kills and eight blocks, respectively.
One of the nation's top squads in team hitting percentage throughout the season continues to earn that recognition as junior setter Marisa Amarino posted 25 assists in her three-rotation work. Amarino and fellow junior libero Nadia Kern combined for seven service aces on the evening, all four of Kern's coming in a five-point stretch in the first set as the Tigers vied for control in the early stages.
Ellis and fellow senior middle blocker Emma Funk supplied a total of 19.5 points for a powerful presence in the center of the Tiger offense, combining for 14 kills on a .545 attack clip, led by Funk's eight kills to go with Ellis's eight blocks.
Kern was joined by Tuggle and fellow senior outside hitter Annie Rose Leggett in the back row to complete a balanced defensive approach and stiffle the Panthers to just a .183 hitting rate. Kern finished the night with a team-high 14 digs to go along with eight digs apiece from the senior pin hitters. Despite not finding an ace in Saturday's action, Leggett remains within striking distance of Trinity Volleyball's all-time service record in second with 246 aces, just four away from holding the record outright.
No. 2 Trinity Volleyball will face No. 10 New York University for the NCAA III Hoboken Regional title Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. CT. The winner of Sunday's competition will punch its ticket to the 2021 NCAA III National Championship to be held on the campus of Washington University (MO) in St. Louis next weekend.
