NASHVILLE – The Trevecca Nazarene University volleyball team (17-6, 11-3 GSC) bounced back in a big way, completing the season sweep of the University of Montevallo Falcons (9-14, 6-7 GSC). The Trojans dominated the match in the opening two sets, and then Trevecca honored volleyball alumni in attendance before the Trojans completed the 3-1 win over Montevallo to take the season sweep.

The alumni weekend included honoring the 2015 Trojans on Friday and an alumni game and lunch on Saturday. The 2015 team won the G-MAC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional.  
 
SERIES HISTORY  
The win moves the Trojans' record against the Falcons to 5-2, and it runs the Trevecca win streak against Montevallo to four straight.
 
MATCH RECAP
Trevecca sprinted out of the gate in set one, as the Trojans took the first five points of the opening frame, and they never looked back. Montevallo closed the gap no closer than two, which they did to trim the margin to 10-8, but Trevecca methodically pulled away. The Trevecca lead reached as many as eight when a block from Addison Cunngain and Reese Payne gave Trevecca a 19-11 edge, and the Trojans closed out the set win 25-16. The Trojans had 14 kills and four aces, and they hit .257 in the set.
 
Montevallo took their first lead early in the second set, but the Trojans claimed the lead on a pair of Montevallo miscues that gave the Trojans the 6-4 edge early. Slowly, the Trojans increased their lead. A Kill from Payne put the Trojans up three at 10-7, and moments later a kill from Cunnagin pushed that edge to 12-8. The Falcons rallied to score four straight points to tie things at 12, but a 5-1 run from the Trojans gave TNU a 17-13 lead as the set passed the midway point. The run continued and Trevecca stretched their lead all the way to 22-15 before Montevallo could answer, and the Trojans won set two 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Montevallo again took the early lead in the third set, but this time, they were able to keep the Trojans from taking the lead back early on. UM quickly built a 6-2 lead, but Trevecca battled back to cut the margin to a single point four times. Montevallo was able to stem the momentum of the Trojans, then after a replay from a weird play - when a live ball got stuck between the inflatable ventilation duct and the ceiling - the Falcons pushed their lead to 14-10 and forced a Trevecca timeout. Out of the break, Montevallo continued to push, and the Falcons stretched their lead out slowly, and Montevallo avoided the sweep with a 25-17 win to cut the margin to 2-1 in the match.
 
The teams battled evenly early in the fourth frame, with Montevallo holding the lead for much of the early portion of the set. The Trojans kept getting close, and with persistence, a 5-0 run gave the Trojans the 13-10 lead and forced Montevallo into a timeout. Out of the break, back-to-back points helped UM cut the deficit to 13-12, but Trevecca responded with a 6-1 run to take an 18-13 lead. Montevallo put together a 5-2 spurt to cut the margin to 20-18, but the Trojans put the finishing touches on the match with a 5-1 run capped by a kill from Mackenzie Martin to finish off the set with a 25-19 Trevecca win that wrapped up the 3-1 match victory. 
 
TROJAN HIGHLIGHTS
·       Mackenzie Martin led the Trojans with 15 kills in the match, and Addison Cunnagin added 14 as the only other Trojan in double figures. 
·       Skias Hainline dished up 37 assists, and in the process, she has closed to within seven of the 2,200 career assist mark.  
·       Lily Vanbebber led Trevecca back row players with 18 digs, and Isabella Sherrod (13) also reached double-digits.  
·       After a difficult night attacking the ball on Friday, the Trojans bounced back to hit .203 on Saturday with 51 kills, and the Trojans out-aced the Falcons 9-5. 
 
UP NEXT  
Trevecca hits the road next weekend, with trips to Clinton, Mississippi and Livingston, Alabama. On Friday night, Trevecca will battle the Mississippi College Choctaws (9-14, 6-7 GSC) at 6 p.m., and on Saturday, the Trojans and West Alabama Tigers (8-12, 4-9 GSC) will square off. Trevecca won the first meetings against both the Choctaws and the Tigers earlier this season.