FLORENCE, Ala. - The Trevecca Nazarene University volleyball team (2-2) opened the 2016 season splitting their first four matches of the year at the University of North Alabama Classic. The Trojans defeated Tiffin University (2-2) in five sets and Fisk University Bulldogs (0-4) in straight sets on Friday. On Saturday the Trojans lost a pair of matches to two top opponents. Trevecca lost in five to Northwood University (3-1) 25-20, 24-26, 25-20, 21-25,19-17 before falling to the host Lions of North Alabama Lions (4-0) 25-19,25-12,25-14 to close out the classic at UNA's Flowers Hall.  

The meeting with Northwood is the first in program history and TNU is 0-5 all-time versus North Alabama.

Trevecca opens the home  portion of their schedule on Tuesday when Christian Brothers University visits for a 6 PM match. Since 2008 the Trojans are 0-2 versus the Bucs. CBU swept the Trojans 3-0 in their last meeting in 2014. The series with CBU dates back to 1978 and the Bucs lead the series 50-2. WATCH LIVE

Trevecca welcomes the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Walsh University to the Trojan Fieldhouse for the Scott Jones Classic @ Trevecca on Friday and Saturday (9/9, 9/10). Walsh will be a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference next season. WATCH LIVE

Katelyn Atkinson totaled 46 kills over the weekend and now has a G-MAC record 1346 career kills. Clare Taylor led the team with 47 kills and a .191 attack percentage. Hanna Matthews collected 117 assists in her first weekend of college volleyball. That is good enough for a nine assists per set average. Trevecca defeated UAH in their last meeting. It is the first time the Trojans have claimed victory over the Chargers in the Division II era. UAH leads the series 12-3. Trevecca will be facing UMSL and Walsh for the first time in school history.

The match not only went five sets, but the fifth set included extended points. Trevecca led 4-2 in the opening set, but a 7-1 run by Northwood turned the match in their favor and they never gave up the lead in the set. Northwood jumped out 7-2 in the second set, but Trevecca tied the set at 17-17 before earning the extra points victory 26-24. The third set was all Timberwolves after a 6-1 start gave them the cushion they needed for the five-point win. The fourth set was tight and tied at 18-18 late. Trevecca scored seven of the next 10 points to tie the match 2-2. Neither team led by more than two points in the fifth set. Northwood did have three match points denied before Trevecca gained a match-point serve at 17-16. Northwood got the side out and then two straight on serve for the win.

Coach Crowley said after the first setback of the year, "We may have lost on the scoreboard but we really won with our team effort, composure, concentration, and confidence. I am proud of our Trojan team emptying their tanks with great effort!"

Clare Taylor 16 Kills  

     Atkinson, Hodge 14  

Hanna Matthews 53 Assists

Alex Reuter 6 Blocks

Ashleigh Lozier 23 Digs

     Taylor (double-double) 12  

     Atkinson (double-double) 13  

     Turner 10  

Haley Turner 3 Service Aces

Trevecca hit below .079 in all but the second set when they hit .234.

Trevecca's best set was the first when they hit for .154 with 11 kills and five errors. The Trojans lost that set 25-19 and only produced 12 and 14 points in the next two sets and hit for -.029 and .051 respectively in the final two sets.

Following the North Alabama match coach Crowley said of her teams performance, "We played an extremely good team in UNA and put up a good fight in the first set, We saw some real good things from Claire Reinthaler, Mia Faragalli, and Danielle Moll."

Clare Taylor 6 Kills

     Reinthaler, Atkinson 4 

Claire Reinthaler 3 Blocks

Hanna Matthews 13 Assists

Ashleigh Lozier 11 Digs