NASHVILLE – The Trevecca Nazarene University women's volleyball team celebrated the three members of their 2025 senior class on Saturday afternoon, as they kicked off the Homecoming festivities with a resounding win at the Trojan Fieldhouse. The Trojans (20-7, 14-4 GSC) locked up a first round bye in the upcoming Gulf South Championship with a sweep of the Warhawks of Auburn University-Montgomery (3-23, 2-16 GSC) 25-11, 28-26, 26-24.
SERIES HISTORY
Trevecca is now 3-1 all-time against the Warhawks. The Trojans swept the teams' meetings this season, and they also defended their home court a year ago. The only victory for AUM in the series came in 2024 in Montgomery.
MATCH RECAP
Trevecca sprinted out of the gate with a 5-1 run, and in set one, they never looked back. Immediately after AUM broke the first run, Trevecca went on another lengthy tear, as the Trojans won nine of the next 10 points to open a 14-3 lead. AUM got no closer than eight points the rest of the way, as Trevecca filled the box score to the brim. The Trojans blasted 15 kills on only 25 attempts in the stanza - an impressive .440 hitting percentage - and they added a pair of service aces as they took the dominant victory, 25-11.
Trevecca started quickly again in the second stanza, but AUM was able to keep the Trojans from running away with the set. Trevecca built an early 9-5 lead, but the Trojans got caught in a tough rotation midway through the set, and AUM scored seven straight points to take their first lead of the afternoon at 12-9. Trevecca answered with a 10-2 run to take a 19-14 lead, but AUM summoned one last gasp in the set. With Trevecca leading 22-18, AUM rattled off a 5-0 spurt to take a 23-22 lead, and the teams traded points from there to the end of the frame. AUM had two set point chances, but the Trojans fought them both off, and Trevecca converted their second set point opportunity to take the win 28-26.
In the third frame, AUM took an early 10-3 lead, but Trevecca whittled away. A 6-2 spurt helped Trevecca close to 13-10. After AUM stretched the lead back to five at 18-13, Trevecca used back-to-back kills from Addison Cunnagin, a kill from Emma Schnitzer, and an ace from Isabella Sherrod to tie things up at 19. AUM built their lead back to 23-21, but the Trojans closed on a 6-1 run that was capped by a block from Mackenzie Martin and Kaitlyn Grant to take the set 26-24, and the match 3-0.
The win guarantees that the Trojans will finish in the top-four of the Gulf South Conference standings, and that guarantees Trevecca a bye to the quarterfinal round of the upcoming GSC Championship. Trevecca remains alive for a double-bye, and on Saturday afternoon, the Trojans got some help from Christian Brothers University. The Bucs swept the University of Alabama in Huntsville Chargers, leaving the Trojans and Chargers tied once again for second in the GSC standings.
TROJAN HIGHLIGHTS
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Skias Hainline handed out 34 assists, and one match after she passed Chloee McDaniel for second on the Trojans NCAA-era assists list, the senior eclipsed the 1,000 assist mark for the second consecutive season. With two matches left in the regular season, Hainline has a good chance to surpass her single-season career-best for assists which she set last year with 1,075. She currently has 2,356 career assists, and if the Trojans can make a deep run in the postseason, she has an outside chance to reach the career mark of 2,678 held by Loren Bennett.
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Lilly Vanbebber led the Trojans with 15 digs in the match, and Hainline added 11 digs for her 12th double-double of the campaign.
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Trevecca sits even with UAH in the GSC Standings headed into the final weekend. Trevecca holds the tiebreaker with the Chargers on head-to-head sets won, so if the Trojans can finish the season tied with UAH, Trevecca would earn the second double-bye in the GSC Championship.
UP NEXT
Trevecca will wrap up the 2025 regular season on Friday and Saturday, November 14-15, at the Trojan Fieldhouse. Trevecca will look to avenge earlier losses to Valdosta State University (12-15, 11-7 GSC) and the University of West Florida (22-5, 15-2 GSC) on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Friday evening's match with the VSU Blazers will start at 6 p.m., while Saturday's action will begin at 1 p.m.
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