CLINTON, Miss. – The Trevecca Nazarene University volleyball team (7-10, 4-2 GSC) lost a four-set match at Mississippi College (7-6, 5-1 GSC) in A.E. Wood Coliseum on Saturday. The Choctaws won their fifth in a row, beating the Trojans 25-18, 13-25, 20-25, 23-25. It is the Trojans first road loss in GSC play.
The win gives the Choctaws a one game lead on the Trojans for third in the league. The Trojans, picked sixth in the preseason GSC coaches' poll, are in fourth.
The Trojans took two of their first three on the four-match road trip and saw more personal marks hit. Skias Hainline is over 500 assists on the year and Maddie Wilds is two from hitting 200 digs on the year. Reese Payne is at 75 blocks, 24 short of tying her TNU season record.
THE SERIES
This is the third meeting all-time, with the teams splitting the two previous meetings. The Choctaws won the last meeting in 1992, Trevecca won the first-ever meeting in 1989. MC now has the all-time series lead, 2-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Trevecca opened with a commanding 9-2 lead in the first set, but the Choctaws rallied to within a point at 16-15 with a 13-7 run. Trevecca scored the next six points on the serve of Mackenzie O'Loughlin who had three aces on her serve. TNU took the first set 25-18.
The second set was close early, but the Choctaws turned the set and the match with a 10-1 run for a 16-6 advantage. MC won the set 25-13.
Trevecca led set three 6-5, but the Choctaws had a run like the second set, outscoring the Trojans 10-4 for a 15-10 advantage. Trevecca closed the MC lead to one (16-15) on a 5-0 run, but MC turned the set in their favor, scoring the next five points for a 21-15 lead. The hosts took the third set 25-20 for a 2-1 edge in the match.
A 9-3 start for the Choctaws in set four made the must-win challenge for the Trojans an uphill climb. Trailing 21-13, Trevecca made a 5-0 run on the serve of Lily Vanbebber, making it a three-point match at 21-18. Trevecca close the gap to one (22-21), but the teams traded points the rest of the way, giving MC the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.
THE TEAM
Trevecca hit .270 in the first set but didn't hit higher than .088 in the final three sets.
THE PLAYERS
Mackenzie O'Loughlin led the way for the Trojans with 11 kills, three aces, and three blocks.
Reese Payne collected 10 kills.
UP NEXT
The Trojans visit Lee University (8-9, 2-3 GSC) on Thursday, concluding their four-match road trip. Trevecca and Lee have played 44 times with the Flames leading the series 35-9.
The team hosts Auburn Montgomery (4-10, 1-4 GSC) on Saturday, October 12 to begin a four match home stand at Trojan Fieldhouse. In fact, the Trojans play eight of the next 10 matches in the friendly confines of the Trojans Fieldhouse. AUM and TNU will be meeting for the first time in volleyball.
Valdosta State University (7-7, 1-3 GSC) visits on Oct. 18 at 6 PM in what is the first meeting all-time for the team schools in volleyball. Next is GSC leader, the University of West Florida (10-5, 5-0 GSC) on Oct. 19 at 1 PM. This is the first meeting in volleyball for the two schools. Union University (4-10, 2-3 GSC) visits Trojan Fieldhouse for the first time as a Gulf South opponent on Oct. 22 at 6 PM. Trevecca beat Union in what was the first GSC match for the Trojans and the first GSC victory. It was the 54th meeting between the two schools in volleyball. Union leads the all-time series 31-23.
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