Thunder Volleyball News
11/3 - Irwin and Searles Named All-MIAA in Volleyball
ROYAL OAK, Mich. - For the second straight season, the Trine University volleyball team had two players named All-MIAA as senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) and sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) were honored by the conference.
Irwin was named to the All-MIAA First Team for the third straight season after being named the conference Freshman of the Year and a second team honoree in her first season. Irwin finished her four-year career as Trine’s all-time leader in kills with 1,468. In her final season with the Thunder, Irwin finished fifth in the conference with 2.83 kills per set in MIAA action. In 30 total games, Irwin led the team with 329 kills for an average of 3.07 per set which ranked fourth in the conference while hitting .266 on the year which was 10th in the MIAA. Irwin also led the team with 102 blocks on the season, just one behind her career best and was second on the team with 31 aces.
Searles earned conference honors for the first time in her career as she was named to the All-MIAA Second Team. Searles has proven to be an all-around threat for the Thunder as she had 20 double-doubles and two triple-doubles on the year. On the season, Searles ranked 10th in the conference with 3.10 digs per set. Searles played in every set on the year as she finished second on the team in assists, 402, and digs, 332; third in kills, 197, and blocks, 42; and fifth in aces, 25.
11/2 - Thunder Season Comes to a Close in MIAA Tournament
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - In was night filled with tears of joy and sorrow as the Trine University volleyball senior duo of Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) and Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) fell in the final match of their careers 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 27-25) to the #2 ranked Calvin College. The Thunder fought the reigning conference champions to the very end as they exchanged leads 11 times throughout the match that saw 20 ties scores. The Thunder end their season with an overall record of 18-12.
The careers of Irwin and Radekin come to a close as the most prolific duo to come through Angola in the programs history, as the two leave as the school’s all-time leaders in kills (1,468) and assists (3,456). The duo led the Thunder to their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1986-87.
The opening set saw the Thunder take the opening point as the two sides exchanged serves early. Trine would lead 7-6, but the conference champion Knights would rally to score six of the next seven points to take a four point lead. Once again the two sides would exchange points as Trine was able to cut the Calvin lead to two at 17-15. The Knights would then score the final six points to take the set.
The second set was all Thunder early on as they raced to an 8-4 lead, but Calvin would again comeback, scoring five straight to lead 9-8. The Thunder would answer with their own rally, taking four straight to re-take the lead. From there though, Calvin would score 10 straight points to take the lead for good as the Thunder offense had just four kills the rest of the set.
For the first time on the night, Calvin took the opening point of a set in the third frame. The two sides fought back-and-forth throughout the set as the two teams traded leads four times as the Thunder tied the set 10 times. Calvin would score three straight to take a 19-15 lead, but once again the Thunder would fight their way back into it, down just two at 20-18. Again the two sides traded points, but Trine would tie the match and then take the lead at 24-23 after scoring five of six points. Calvin would score the next two points to take it to match point, but the Thunder would get the next point to again tie it 25-25. The Knights would take the next two points to take the hard-fought set and the match.
The Thunder were led by a pair of freshman in Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) and Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) who each finished with 10 kills. Verkamp narrowly missed a double-double adding in nine digs as she tied a season-high in kills. Rabel also added in five digs.
Irwin finished her final game for the Thunder with five kills and two blocks. Radekin concluded her outstanding career with seven digs and five assists.
Freshman Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) earned her fifth straight and 20th double-double of the season with 20 assists and 11 digs while adding in three kills. Fellow freshman Stephanie Radandt (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn) closed out the season with three kills and two blocks.
The 18 wins this season is the most by a Thunder program since the 1999 team won 28 games.
10/26 - Trine Drops Final Regular Season Match
HOLLAND, Mich. - In their final regular season game of the year, the Trine University volleyball team fell to Hope College 3-0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-16). The Thunder now head into the MIAA Tournament with an overall record of 18-11 and finish the conference season with a 9-7 record.
The Thunder struggled in the opening set, hitting -.160 to start the match. Fifth ranked Hope started the game on a 12-3 run, as Trine scored three straight to try and get back on track. From there though, the Flying Dutch would score six straight points as the Thunder were unable to find their offensive power.
In the second set after Trine score the first two points, it looked like Hope would again run away with the set. However, this time the Thunder would find a way to get back into their offensive rhythm as they scored six of the next seven points after trailing 11-4. After the two teams traded points, Trine would again go on a 7-3 scoring run to tie the set at 17-17, forcing Hope to call a timeout. Hope would score the first two points out of the timeout, before Trine was able to get back on the board to pull back within one. From there though, the nationally ranked Flying Dutch would be too much for the Thunder as they pulled away, scoring six of the final seven points.
The final set once again belonged to Hope as they started on a 10-1 run. Trine would put in a last ditch effort to climb back into it as they scored three consecutive points to cut the Flying Dutch lead to 10 and then score five of the next six to cut the lead down to eight before Hope was able to score the final point of the match.
Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) led the Thunder with seven kills while making six digs on the night. Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) finished her final conference match with four kills.
Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) earned her 19th double-double of the season finishing the match with 15 assists and a game-high 12 digs.
Trine now waits to see whom they will play in the MIAA Tournament. If Alma wins their match against Adrian, the Thunder will face top seeded Calvin. If Alma were to lose to Adrian, Trine would then face a re-match with Hope. The conference tournament will begin on November 2 hosted by Calvin College with match times to be determined.
10/24 - Thunder Fall to Knights
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Despite fighting hard, the Trine University volleyball team fell to recently crowned conference champion Calvin 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-18). The Thunder are now 18-10 on the year and 9-6 in the conference.
The Thunder fought hard in the opening set as they hung with the second ranked Knights. Trine trailed by three at 18-15, but rallied tie the set at 18 all. The Knights offense would be too strong in the end though as they scored eight of the final nine points.
Trine would hang with Calvin early in the second set, with the score tied 4-4. From there, the Knights would take an eight point lead at 18-10 before taking the final two points of the set.
It looked like Calvin would run away with the third set, taking an early 6-1 lead. The Thunder had other things in mind though as they would slowly claw their way back into the match, pulling within one at 17-16. Once again though the conference champion Knights would make a final push, scoring six of the final seven points.
Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) led Trine with nine kills to go along with six digs. Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) finished her night with eight kills. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) had a solid night, finishing with 10 digs and six kills.
Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) led all players with 14 digs while dishing out a team-high 13 assists for her 18th double-double of the season and third straight game. Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) added in 11 assists and eight digs.
The Thunder have already qualified for the MIAA tournament, but will wait to see if they will face Calvin or the team they will also face in their regular season finale, Hope, on October 26 at 6:30 p.m. The conference tournament begins on November 2 and will be hosted by Calvin.
10/20 - Thunder Fall in Home Finale
ANGOLA, Ind. - In their final home game of the season, the Trine University volleyball squad dropped a tough three-set match to Alma 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-15). The loss drops the Thunder to 18-9 on the season and 9-5 in the MIAA.
Trine got off to an early lead in the first set, winning four of the first five points. Alma would slowly inch their way back, but the Thunder would fight off the rally to take a five point lead at 15-10. Alma would then score four straight points to pull within one. After both sides traded points, Alma would go on to score five straight points to take their first lead of the set. The Thunder would tie the match at 21 all, but Alma would take four of the final five points to win the set.
Set number two would be a see-saw battle, as the teams exchanged five lead changes. Trine led early at 5-2, but Alma came back to take a 9-8 lead. Later in the set it was Trine who would battle back to tie the set at 17-17 after scoring four straight points. After Alma score consecutive points to take a 23-19 lead, the Thunder would again battle back, scoring three straight points to pull within two, but the Scots earned the final two points off Trine errors.
The final set it started out as a close match, but with the score tied 3-3, Alma would go on a scoring run to take an 11-6 lead. The Thunder were unable to respond as Alma went on two extended scoring runs to put the game away.
Playing in her final home match of her career, Trine’s all-time kills leader senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led all players with a game-high 12 kills. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) earned her 17th double-double of the season with 12 digs and 11 assists while adding in seven kills.
Trine’s other senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led the Thunder with three aces while dishing out 17 assist and making seven digs. Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) ended the afternoon with a match-high 15 digs.
The biggest difference in the match came at the net as Trine finished with 18 attack errors compared to just seven for Alma, including none in the second set.
Trine will take a few days off before heading out on the road to face fourth ranked, and conference leading Calvin on October 24 at 6:30 p.m.
10/19 - Thunder Derail the Comets in Marathon Match
ANGOLA, Ind. - It was the perfect ending to Senior Night for the Trine University volleyball team as senior’s Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) and Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) teamed up for the final point of their 3-2 (19-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13) win over Olivet College.
What looked like an easy match-up for the Thunder (18-8, 9-4 MIAA) on paper, turned into a slugfest on the court with the Comets (5-17, 2-10 MIAA) as Trine went to five-sets for the first time at home this season.
After Trine fell behind early, the Comets would take the first set from the Thunder for the first time this season. Trine would roar back in the second set as they took the first point and never relinquished the lead from there as they dominated the set.
The third set would be hotly contested throughout as the two teams battled through 11 ties and seven lead changes. With Trine leading 15-14, the Comets would score six of the next eight points to take a three point lead. From there Thunder were unable to get back into the set as Olivet took the final three points of the set.
In the fourth set, both teams traded leads early on. Trine began to inch away from the Comets with the score tied 7-7. Trine would score four straight points to take the lead for good. Later in the set, Trine would score five straight points to take an eight point lead before closing out the game.
The fifth and final set was another battle for both teams as they exchanged five leads and 10 ties. After Olivet took the first point, the Thunder roared back to score the next three points. The two sides traded points after neither team could hold serve. With Trine leading 10-9, Olivet would score the next three points to take the lead. Trailing by two, the Thunder would again roar back scoring four straight points. The Comets would take the next point but the senior duo closed out the game as Radekin set Irwin for the final kill of the game.
Irwin finished with her second double-double of the season as she led all players with a 20 kills and a 10 blocks with a season-high six solo while adding six digs. Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) finished the night with 12 kills and five digs. Fellow freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) added in eight kills and six digs for the match. Another freshman in Stephanie Radandt (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn) finished with five kills and a season-high five blocks while hitting a game-best .455 from the floor.
Radekin and sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) each finished the night with a double-double, the fourth time they have both accomplished the feat in the same match. Searles led the team with 26 assists and a match-high 15 digs while Radekin finished with 23 assists and 12 digs. Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) also finished the night with 14 digs.
As a team, the Thunder had a season-high with 15 blocks and matched season-highs with 59 kills and 56 assists. The match marked the second time this season that three Trine players earned a double-double, the other coming against Bluffton on September 8.
Trine will get right back on the court as they host Alma for their final home game of the season on October 20 at 1:00 p.m.
10/16 - Trine Squashes the Hornets
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Trine University volleyball squad made quick work of their MIAA game against Kalamazoo, sweeping their match 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-19). The Thunder continue to hold the third spot in the conference with an 8-4 record and 17-8 overall.
The Thunder built an early 17-9 lead to open the game, but the Hornets would score five straight points to pull within three. Trine would quickly rally as they scored eight of the final 11 points, including the last three points of the set.
In the second set, Trine would again start off with an early lead as Kalamazoo would again pull within four. But just as with the first set, the Thunder would put an end to the comeback and score five of the final seven points.
Just as the first two sets had gone, the third set followed suit with the Thunder jumping out to the early lead and Kalamazoo rallying to trail by just two. Trine would fight off two rallies from the Hornets, never allowing them to pull any closer than two points.
Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led all players with 10 kills, five blocks and hit an outstanding .562. Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) also had an outstanding match finishing with nine kills and hitting .400 on the night. Fellow freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) had an all-around solid performance tying a game-high with 10 digs while adding in seven kills and two aces.
Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) and sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) handed out 19 and 17 assists respectively. Searles added in six kills while Radekin dropped in a game-high three aces. Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) matched Verkamp with a game-high 10 digs.
Trine will return home to celebrate Senior Night on October 19 when they host Olivet at 6:30 p.m.
10/10 - Thunder Win Annual Dig For a Cure Night
ANGOLA, Ind. - On a night where they celebrated the courage of a little girl named Brooklyn, the Trine University volleyball team won their conference match against Adrian College 3-1 (25-18, 27-25, 21-25, 25-20). The Thunder improved to 16-8 on the year and 7-4 in the MIAA.
Playing their annual Dig For A Cure match, the Thunder used the game to ‘Spike Rett for Brooklyn’ and raise awareness for Rett Syndrome in honor of Brooklyn Butler. Trine used the night to raise funds in Brooklyn’s name for Girl Power 2 Cure, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for treatments and a cure for Rett Syndrome.
Trine opened the match by running away early in the first set as they led by 10 at 14-4. Trine would push their lead to 20-9 before Adrian would begin to mount a comeback. The Bulldogs would pull within eight, but the Thunder would put the set away on a kill by freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central).
Set number two was a back-and-forth set that saw seven ties and four lead changes, where no team led by more than four points. Initially the Thunder built a 5-1 lead, but Adrian would rally to score nine of the next 10 points to lead 10-6. It would be Trine’s turn to battle back as they would go on an 8-0 run to lead 15-11. The two sides would begin to trade points before Adrian would rally for five straight points to take a 21-20 lead. The two sides would again trade points before the Thunder would make a final rally, scoring the final three points of the set.
Trine would again start with an early lead in the third set, as they led 7-3. Adrian would again battle back to take the lead 11-10. After the Bulldogs led 16-13, the two teams would trade off points, as the Thunder were unable to regain the lead from there.
In the final set, the Thunder would again take an early 7-3 lead, before seeing the Bulldogs pull off another rally. With the game tied 9-9, the teams would swap points before the Thunder were able to start pulling away winning six straight points to lead 17-13. Adrian would close the gap to one at 20-19, but Trine would rally to score five of the final six points and take the match.
After breaking the school kills record by one during their last game, senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) made no doubt that she is the Thunder’s all-time leader, finishing the night with 13 kills to go along with a game-high five aces. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) earned her 15th double-double of the season, finishing the night with 15 assists, 11 kills and seven digs. Rabel ended the night with eight kills and six digs while fellow freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) had seven kills and seven digs.
Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) narrowly missed a double-double finishing with a game-high 26 assists and adding in eight digs. Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) led all players with 17 digs on the evening.
Trine will have almost a week off before returning to action on October 16 when they travel to Kalamazoo for a 7:00 p.m. match.
10/8 - Irwin Named MIAA Position Player of the Week
ROYAL OAK, Mich. - The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has named Trine middle blocker Betsy Irwin its Position Player of the Week in volleyball for matches played through October 7.
Irwin, a senior from Athens, Ohio (Alexander HS), became Trine’s all-time career leader in kills, slamming 22 kills in two matches for the week to boost her career total to 1,396. She had 11 kills, four blocks and two service aces in a five-set loss to Saint Mary’s, then followed with 11 kills, five blocks and two aces in a sweep of Albion. Irwin is being honored as Player of the Week for the first time this season and fourth time in her career.
10/6 - Trine’s Irwin Sets Career Kills Mark in Win
ALBION, Mich. - It took Trine University volleyball senior Betsy Irwin 1,395 kills to tie the school career mark, but she need just one late in the Thunder’s match against Albion College to stand alone at the top. The Thunder would go on sweep host Albion 3-0 (25-14, 25-10, 25-18) to improve to 15-8 on the season and 6-4 in the MIAA.
Trine ran away with the opening set as they score the first five points and would follow that with another eight straight points to lead it 14-4. The Thunder would take the final five points to win the opening set.
Set number two started out much the same for Trine as they opening with an 11-4 lead. The Thunder defense would stifle the Britons as they scored just 10 points as Trine scored 13 of the final 17 points.
The final set did not start the way the Thunder would have liked as Albion captured the first points, en-route to a 9-6 lead. Trine would fight back to tie the game at 10, but the Britons would push their lead to 14-12. Irwin would then deliver her record-setting kill to pull the Thunder within one. Trine would rally to score seven straight points to take their first lead of the set. The two sides would split the final eight points, as the Thunder would hold off an Albion comeback.
Irwin surpassed Sallie Richardson (2005-2008) who set the record after played 405 sets in her career. Irwin becomes the second Trine player this season to set a career mark, as her high school and now college teammate fellow senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) set the career assists mark earlier this season.
“Betsy has been an impact player for the team since she was a freshman” said Trine University head coach Jamie Wozniak. “She has been one of the most consistent players I have ever coached. When you see her attack the ball, you can see the athleticism that she displays.”
“She comes to practice with the same intensity, focus and work ethic everyday which is hard to find in a player. What she and Sarah have accomplished here in the past four years is something very special.”
Irwin would lead the Thunder on her record-breaking day with a match-high 11 kills and five blocks. Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) finished the morning with nine kills and seven digs. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) notched a double-double with 14 assists, 11 digs and six kills. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) helped out with nine digs, four kills and three blocks.
Radekin led all players with 21 assists while adding in eight digs and junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) added in 11 digs of her own.
Trine will return home on October 10 to face conference rival Adrian at 6:30 p.m.
10/5 - Thunder Comeback Falls Just Short
NOTRE DAME, Ind. - It was a tough pill to swallow for the Trine University volleyball team as they fell just short in their comeback attempt falling to Saint Mary’s 3-2 (25-23, 15-25, 25-19, 16-25, 15-7). With the loss the Thunder fall to 14-8 overall on the season and 5-4 in the MIAA.
The Thunder built an early 4-0 lead to start the match, as the Thunder built to an 18-12 lead. The Belles would mount a comeback, winning 10 straight points. As Saint Mary’s led 23-19, the Thunder would mount a comeback of their own winning four straight points, including three consecutive blocks by senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) and freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) to tie it 23-23. The Belles would win the final two points to take the set ending the Thunder comeback.
Trine would blow-out the Belles in set number two as they sprinted to an 18-7 lead off several runs including an eight point streak. Trine would score four of the final five points to tie the match.
In the third set the Thunder would again score the first points to lead it 6-2 before the Belles would mount a comeback to take the lead 9-8. The two sides would trade points before Saint Mary’s began to pull away with the score 16-15.
Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) would score the first two points of the fourth set with back-to-back aces to again give the Thunder an early lead. With Trine leading 5-2, the Belles would answer with five straight points to take the lead 7-5. The Thunder refused to give in as they would answer with 10 of the next 11 points to take a 15-8 lead. Saint Mary’s would pull within five, but Trine would not allow the Belles to get back into the set as they took five of the last six points.
For the first time on the night, the Thunder failed to win the first point of the final set, but the two sides traded points as the Thunder battled back from an early three point deficit. With Saint Mary’s leading 6-5, the Belles to score six straight points as the Thunder were unable to mount a comeback.
Irwin led the Thunder with 11 kills on the night to go along with a match-high four blocks. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) had a career-high 10 kills on the night to hit a match-high .296 while making seven digs. Verkamp also tied a career-high with a game-high four aces. Rabel just missed a double-double for the night, finishing with 11 digs and eight kills.
Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led the Thunder offense with 26 assists. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) finished with her 13th double-double of the season with 11 digs, 11 assists and seven kills. Crabtree led the Thunder with 14 digs on the night while dropping in three aces.
The Thunder will go right back to work as they travel to Albion on October 6 for an 11:00 a.m. match.
9/29 - Volleyball Fourth at D.C. Tournament
WASHINGTON - Over the weekend, the Trine University volleyball team traveled nearly 550 miles to compete in the sixth annual Worthington Classic hosted by Gallaudet University where they placed fourth with a 2-2 record. The Thunder are now 14-7 on the season.
The opening match saw the Thunder battle the host Gallaudet in three tough sets, falling 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-14). Trine bounced right back in their following game, dominating Wheaton (MA) 3-0 (25-20, 25-9, 25-15). The Thunder held Wheaton to a season-low 15 kills, including just two in the second set while making a season-high 13 service aces in the match.
The second day saw the Thunder take their morning match in another 3-0 sweep over Marymount (VA) (25-16, 25-14, 25-17). The Thunder had an incredible 19 kills in the first set en-route to a 3-set season-high 43 for the match. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) earned her first of two straight double-doubles. In the third-place match, the Thunder faced Washington & Lee, taking the first set before falling 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-18).
Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) was named to the All-Tournament team after leading the Thunder with 46 kills and a .391 hitting percentage while knocking down eight blocks for the weekend. Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) had 27 kills and 23 digs over the four games. Fellow freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) had a solid weekend leading the Thunder with 11 aces while adding in 25 digs and 24 kills.
Searles just missed averaging a double-double for the weekend, leading Trine with 52 assists to go along with 33 digs, 20 kills and seven blocks. Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) also averaged double-digit assists for the tournament, finishing with 44 assists and 27 digs. Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) led the Thunder with 49 digs in the tournament.
Trine will take a few days off for fall break before resuming conference play on October 5 when they travel to Saint Mary’s for a 7:00 p.m. match.
9/26 - Thunder Battle to the End
ANGOLA, Ind. - The Trine University volleyball team put up a tough fight against the fourth ranked Hope College but were unable to take down the Flying Dutch, falling 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-15). The Thunder are now 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the MIAA.
Both sides had their difficulties in the opening set as each team finishing negative in hitting. Hope would score the first four points of the match, as the Thunder tried to rally. Later in the set Trine was able to do just that when they scored six straight points to pull within one at 19-18. The two sides would trade points again, but with the score 22-21, the Flying Dutch would score the final three points to take the set.
The Thunder would hang close to start the second set as they took the opening point. The two sides traded points as neither team was able to take a significant lead early on. Hope would breakthrough with the score 7-6, scoring five straight points. From there the Thunder were unable to hold off the Flying Dutch rally as they scored eight of the final nine points of the set.
The final set would again see the Thunder hang tough to start the set. After Hope took an early 3-0 lead, Trine would rally to tie the game at 4-4. The Flying Dutch would tally four straight points to take an 8-4 lead but the Thunder would again rally to tie the set at 11-11. The number four team in the country would be too much for the Thunder down the stretch though as they out-scored Trine 14-4 to take the set and the game.
Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) led the Thunder with seven kills on the night. Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) and freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) each added in five kills. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) finished the night with team-high 12 digs and 10 assists for her 10th double-double of the season.
The Trine defense held Hope to their second lowest hitting percentage of the season, as the Dutch finished with a .162 compared to the Thunder at -.053.
Trine will travel to Washington D.C. this weekend for the Gallaudet University Worthington Classic where they will face the host team on September 28 at 2:00 p.m.
9/22 - Thunder Push #2 Calvin to the Limit
By Sports Information Student Assistant Sydney Spragg
ANGOLA, Ind. - The Trine University volleyball team came out strong against #2 Calvin College during a matchup of two of the top four teams in the MIAA, but the Thunder were unable to hold off the Knights comebacks falling 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-14). Trine falls to 12-4 on the season and 5-2 in the conference.
The Thunder started the first set off with a kill from freshman Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) as they would trade points back and forth as the opening set saw the score tied nine times. Trine would push their lead to 21-18, but relinquish it and eventually drop the first set 22-25.
The Thunder got out to an early 10-6 lead to start the second set. The Knights battled back, led by kills from both Maggie and Lizzie Kamp. Trine then tied things back up at 19-19 on a service ace from senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander). After falling behind 22-20, Trine battled back to within one at 23-22, but an attack error would give Calvin the set.
The final set saw the Thunder again take an early lead, before Calvin tallied five straight points as Trine was unable to mount a comeback.
The Thunder were led by senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) who finished with nine kills and three blocks. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) just missed out on a double-double, finishing her day with a game-high 11 digs and seven kills. Searles led the Thunder with 11 assists on the afternoon.
Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) matched Verkamp with a match-high 11 digs on defense.
The Trine defense was able to hold the Knights to their second lowest hitting percentage on the season (.183) and the second fewest kills (34). The biggest difference in the match saw the Knights overwhelm Trine at the net, out-blocking the Thunder 14-to-5 on the afternoon.
Trine will have another tough match as they host #4 Hope College on September 26 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
9/21 - Thunder Drop First Conference Match of the Season
ALMA, Mich. - A trip up north was a tough one for the Trine University volleyball team as they dropped their first conference game of the season to Alma College 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-21). The loss drops the Thunder to 12-3 on the year and 5-1 in the MIAA.
Trine took an early lead in the first set at 7-5 but Alma would score six straight points as the Thunder were unable to close the gap to more than four.
The Thunder would again take the early lead in set number two at 9-7. The two sides would trade points as the score was tied at 12 all. Alma would begin to take a lead but the Thunder rallied back to tie the match at 19-19. The two teams would again trade points pushing the tie score to 22 apiece. Alma would regain the lead but Trine would pull within one at 24-23 before Alma was able to grab the final point of the set.
The third set saw Trine take a commanding 7-0 lead to start the game. The Thunder continued to lead at 13-12, but the Scots would then score seven unanswered points to snatch the lead from Trine. Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) cut the Alma lead to just two at 22-20, but the Thunder were unable to mount a comeback.
Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) and freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) led the Thunder with six kills each. Searles also finished her night with eight digs. Irwin finished her evening with five kills. Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led Trine with 15 assists while adding in six digs.
Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) led the Thunder defense with a game-high 10 digs while fellow freshman Stephanie Radandt (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn) knocked down three blocks.
The biggest difference for the match was attacking errors as the Thunder hit just .009 for the match while the Scots managed a .243 hitting percentage. It was the first time the Thunder have been swept this season.
Trine will have no time to rest as they go right back to work on September 22 when they host #2 Calvin College at 1:00 p.m.
9/18 - Thunder Knock the Comets Out of Orbit
OLIVET, Mich. - It was a dominating effort for the Trine University volleyball squad as they swept Olivet College 3-0 (25-15, 25-9, 25-15). The Thunder improve their record to 12-2 on the season and remain perfect at 5-0 in the MIAA.
In the opening set, the Thunder never trailed despite tallying just seven kills. The Thunder defense forced 12 attacking errors by the Comets. Trine scored the final six points of the set to jump out to the early lead.
The second set started out much closer than the score appeared as Olivet took the early lead. With the game tied at 5-5, the Thunder pulled off one of the most impressive runs, scoring 11 straight points to take a commanding 16-5 lead. Trine would score nine of the final 13 points and finish the set with 14 kills on just two errors for a .400 hitting percentage.
Olivet would again take the first points of the set, but Trine quickly answered back scoring six straight points to take a 6-1 lead and never look back. The Comets would close the gap to 10-9, but the Thunder would go on another run, this time outscoring Olivet 8-0 as Trine took the set and the match.
Four different Trine players recorded five or more kills as senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led the way with nine kills on zero errors for a .474 hitting percentage. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) finishing the night with seven kills to go along with five digs. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) and freshman Stephanie Radandt (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn) each tallied five kills. Searles led the Thunder with 15 assists while making seven digs. Radandt played outstanding defense at the net, finishing with a season-high six blocks (two solo).
Junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) led the Thunder with a match-high 12 digs and senior Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) added in a game-high three aces.
Trine will head back out on the road on September 21 for a match at Alma set for 6:30 p.m.
9/15 - Thunder Impressive at Pioneer Classic
MARIETTA, Ohio - The Trine University volleyball team wrapped up their weekend stay at the Marietta College Pioneer Classic with a 3-1 record to earn a three-way tie at the top of the standings with Hiram College and Marietta. The Thunder return home with an 11-2 record on the year.
Trine’s only loss came in their first match of the tournament to Hiram, falling 3-1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-22, 35-33). The fourth set was the longest rally for the Thunder since the NCAA moved to 25 point sets and was the longest set since 2006. In the match sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) earned her second triple-double of the season, finishing with 19 assists, 14 kills and 11 digs. It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
For the second straight game, the Thunder tackled a team they had never faced before as game two saw Trine win a five set thriller over host Marietta 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 25-16, 19-25, 15-13). Trine battled back several times in the match, the biggest of which came in the final set. After falling behind late at 13-9, the Thunder fought back scoring five consecutive points to take the match. Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) had her best game of the season as she had team season-highs in hitting percentage (.459), kills (21) and blocks (11). The 11 blocks by Irwin were the most by a Trine player since Melia Miller also knocked down 11 on October 13, 2007 against Manchester.
The second day saw Trine sweep their only match of the weekend, defeating Ohio Wesleyan 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-22). The 12 points the Thunder allowed in the second set is the fewest they have allowed this season. The Thunder have won all three meetings against the Battling Bishops.
The final match of the tournament for the Thunder saw them drop the opening set to Defiance before rallying to win 3-1 (25-15, 20-25, 25-17, 26-24). It was the first time the two teams have met since 2003 and snapped Trine’s five game losing streak to the Yellow Jackets.
“We learned some very important things about our team this weekend,” head coach Jamie Wozniak said. “Everyone had their moments of brilliance, when one person was off, the others stepped up. We feel like we have defined our game and who we are as a team at this tournament. We kept coming back from being down 5-7 points at the end matches to win, we can't be counted out.”
Irwin was named to the All-Tournament team as she finished the weekend with a team-high 60 kills and a .331 hitting percentage. Irwin also led the Thunder with 23 blocks and seven service aces. Searles was just two kills away from averaging a triple-double for the tournament, finishing with 58 digs, 53 assists and 38 kills and was second on the team with 10 blocks. Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) wrapped up the tournament second on the team with 39 kills to go along with 37 digs. Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) set the strong Thunder offense with 114 assists for the weekend.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) led Trine with 59 digs and was second with five aces. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) finished the four games with 51 digs, 27 kills and nine blocks.
The Thunder will have a busy week, playing three conference matches beginning with a road game at Olivet College on September 18 at 6:30 p.m.
9/12 - Volleyball Wins Sixth Straight Match
ANGOLA, Ind. - It was another sweep for the Trine University volleyball team as they defeated Kalamazoo College 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-18). The Thunder now run their win streak to six straight matches, improving their record to 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the MIAA.
The first set proved to be the toughest for the Thunder as the two sides traded points early on. The Hornets biggest lead of the night came at 4-2 before the Thunder rattled off four straight points to take their first lead of the set, and never look back. Trine built their lead to three at 10-7, but the Hornets fought back to within one at 12-11. Trine would then score 11 of the next 14 points to take a 23-14 before closing out the set.
In the second set, the Thunder jumped out to an early 6-1 lead as the strong Trine offense kept the Hornets at bay. In all, Trine scored 18 of their 25 points off of kills while making just two errors for a .552 hitting percentage in the set.
Trine would again runaway with the final set, scoring the first five points. The Thunder built to an 11-1 lead before Kalamazoo was able to score consecutive points. The Hornets would pull within four at 17-13 after scoring five straight points, but the Thunder would score back-to-back points to regain their lead. Trine finished off the match scoring five of the final six points.
The Trine offense was led by senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) who was the only player on the night to record double-digit kills with 10. Irwin also blocked down a match-high five balls. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) just missed her second triple-double of the season, finishing the night with eight kills, 17 assists and a match-high 10 digs. Freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) finished her solid night hitting a match-high .538 with seven kills and seven digs. Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) had 15 assists on the night for the senior.
On the defensive side, junior libero Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) matched Searles with a game-high 10 digs. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) had an outstanding night at the service line with a season- and match-high four aces while also digging six balls.
Trine will now travel to Marietta College for the two-day Marietta Pioneer Volleyball Classic beginning September 14 at 4:30 p.m. when they face Hiram College.
9/7 - Thunder Sweep Britons Still Perfect in MIAA
ANGOLA, Ind. - It turned out to be a tougher match than the Trine University volleyball team had anticipated as they defeated MIAA opponent Albion College 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-18). The Thunder improve their record to 5-1 overall on the season and remain perfect at 2-0 in the conference.
The opening set saw the Thunder run away with the game after dropping the opening point. Trine scored the next four points and never looked back in the set as they allowed Albion to score consecutive points just once.
The second set wasn’t nearly as easy for the Thunder as the Britons hung close the entire time. Trine took an early 5-2 lead but Albion quickly gained the lead after four straight points at 6-5. The two teams battled it out throughout a set that saw 11 tie scores and five lead changes. With the score tied at 17, the Thunder would tally five straight points, capped off by back-to-back aces from freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central). Albion would mount a comeback, rallying to within one at 24-23. Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) would not allow the Britons to tie the set again as she put down the final point with an exclamation mark.
The final set saw the Thunder jump out to an early 3-0 lead, and refused to allow Albion to get into the game. Trine led 4-3, but from there quickly built a six points lead. The Thunder would put the game away late as they scored seven of 10 points late to take a nine point lead and eventually the match.
Rabel earned her first collegiate double-double leading the Thunder with a game-high 13 kills while getting 10 digs. Rabel also hit an astounding game-high .435 from the floor. Irwin finishing the night with nine kills while fellow senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led Trine with a game-high 24 assists. Freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) led the Thunder with a match-high three services aces to go along with seven kills.
Defensively for the Thunder, junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) finished the night with a game-high 13 digs.
Trine finished all three sets with double-digit kills to close out the game with 41 total compared to just 21 for the Britons. For the match the Thunder hit .222 while Albion managed to hit just .073 from the floor.
Trine will go right back to work as they travel to Adrian College for another MIAA match-up as they will also face Bluffton College in the tri-match beginning at 11:00 a.m.
9/4 - Thunder’s Rumble Cracks the Belles
ANGOLA, Ind. - It proved to be a near perfect night for the Trine University volleyball team as they trailed only twice in their three-set (25-17, 25-18, 25-18) sweep of Saint Mary’s College to open their home season and conference play. The Thunder improved to 4-1 on the season with the victory.
The first set saw the Belles take the first point of the match, but from there Trine would take an early 4-1 lead and never look back. The Thunder pushed their lead to seven at 11-6 after a Saint Mary’s hitting error. The Belles would cut the lead to one before the Thunder stormed back to push their lead back to four as they continued to extend their lead to the opening set win.
Trine ran away with the second set, never losing their lead after scoring the first four points. The two teams would trade points until near the end of the set when the Thunder rattled off seven of the final nine point as sophomore Melanie Troyer (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) laid down the set point.
Saint Mary’s took the first two points of the final set before Trine was able to rally back to tie the game at 2-2. Both teams would trade points as the game stayed tied at 7-7. From there though, the Thunder were able to score four straight points to that the lead for good. Trine’s lead grew to a match-high 10 points on a kill by freshman Taylor Rabel (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central).
Rabel and senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) finished the game tied with a match-high nine kills. Rabel also finished the night with a game-high .412 hitting percentage and eight digs while Irwin led all players with four blocks. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) finished the night with six kills. Senior Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) dished out a game-high 25 assists.
Defensively, junior Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) and freshman Lauren Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) each added in six digs. Freshman Stephanie Radandt (Walkerton, Ind./John Glenn) knocked down four blocks.
Trine’s defense held the Belles to a negative hitting percentage for the game at -.027 compared to the Thunder who hit .232. The biggest different for the Thunder came at the net, as they knocked down 10 blocks for the game compared to just one for Saint Mary’s.
Trine won’t get much time off as they will host another conference opponent in Albion College on September 7 at 6:30 p.m.
9/1 - Thunder Finish 3-1 at ONU Tournament
ADA, Ohio - It was a solid start to the season for the Trine University volleyball team as they finished second at the 34th annual Ohio Northern University Invitational, finishing the two-day tournament with a 3-1 record.
The Thunder started their season with a 5-set comeback win over Thiel, 25-20, 13-25, 16-25, 27-25, 15-12. The squad managed to make 103 digs in the game, their most since September 18, 2010 against Muskingum. Sophomore Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) finished the game with a triple-double, 19 digs, 14 kills and 13 assists. Searles feat was just the second recorded triple-double in school history, the other coming 10 years ago on October 18, 2002 by Kelly Mann against Taylor University Fort Wayne when she had 26 digs, 11 aces and 10 kills.
In game two Trine took on 21st ranked Heidelberg. It would be another hotly contested match but the Thunder would pull out a 4-set win 25-15, 26-28, 25-21, 25-23. As a team, Trine managed to put down 11 service aces for the game.
Day two of the tournament saw the Thunder suffer their only loss of the weekend to host Ohio Northern, 3-1 (19-25, 25-22, 15-25, 14-25). Trine was able to knock down a tournament-high six blocks against the Polar Bears. During the match senior setter Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) set Trine’s career assist mark, surpassing Rainbow Bednarski (2,946; 2003-2006).
The final match of the weekend saw Trine take on Carnegie Mellon. The Thunder saved their best offensive performance of the tournament for their final game as they hit a tournament-high .276 with 52 kills compared to just 15 errors. Trine had 11 aces for the match taking the game 3-1 (25-11, 24-26, 25-18, 25-16)
Senior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) led the Thunder offense in the tournament with a team-high 48 kills and 15 blocks. Junior Taylor Rabel (Athens, Ohio /Alexander) finished the four games with 45 kills and hitting .217. Radekin setup Trine’s offense all weekend averaging 8.71 assists per set to finish the two days with 148 assists while also knocking down six blocks and making 39 digs. Searles did a little bit of everything during the tournament, finishing with 61 digs, 46 kills, 25 assists, six aces and four blocks.
Defensively, junior libero Darcy Crabtree (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del) led Trine with over five digs per set, finishing with 90 on the weekend while adding in six service aces. Freshman Megan Verkamp (Franklin, Ind./Franklin Community) led Trine at the service line with a team-high nine aces.
Both Irwin and Crabtree were named to the All-Tournament team.
Trine will take Labor Day off before beginning conference play in their home opener against Saint Mary’s on September 4 at 7:00 p.m.
8/15 - Volleyball Picked to Finish Fourth in MIAA
ANGOLA, Ind. - After one of their best seasons in recent history, the Trine University volleyball under third-year head coach Jamie Wozniak look carry their success into the upcoming year. The Thunder were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA Coaches’ preseason poll behind defending conference champion Calvin who was followed by Hope and Alma. After the Thunder, there was a significant drop to fifth place in Kalamazoo with Saint Mary’s, Adrian, Olivet and Albion rounding out the poll.
Last season the Thunder tallied six straight wins at one point to tie a school record, en-route to a 15-13 finish. It marked just their second winning season since 1999. The team finished the regular season fourth in the conference and qualified for the conference tournament before falling to top ranked Calvin.
Rising seniors Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) and Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) have shown they are a force to be reckoned with in the conference as Irwin is a two-time First Team All-MIAA and Radekin was named Second Team in 2011. Irwin enters the season second all-time in school history in kills and within striking distance of setting the record. Radekin also enters the year needing just 98 assists to set the career mark.
The team must replace two starters from a season ago, and will look to the sophomore duo of Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey) and Melanie Troyer (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Memorial) to step up after solid freshman campaigns for the Thunder. Junior’s Carlee Felber (Newman, Calif./Orestimba) and Darcy Crabtree (Gaston, Ind./Wes-Del) will lead the Thunder defense as Crabtree enters her third season as the starting libero.
“This is our best overall recruiting class in recent history and I am extremely excited for the season to start,” Wozniak states. “We will have offensive options at every position this year which will make us a hard team to defend. Even though we will have several freshmen and sophomores starting for us, they have already played at a high level, so we look for them to be key contributors right away. The team has worked hard in the spring and made great strides as they have shown they are determined and motivated to make Trine a force in the MIAA.”
Trine opens the season on the road at the two-day Ohio Northern Invitational beginning August 31 before returning home for their first conference match of the season on September 4 against Saint Mary’s.
Poll Results (first-place votes in parenthesis): 1. Calvin (6) 10 pts. 2. Hope (3) 13. 3. Alma 26. 4. Trine 29. 5. Kalamazoo 38. 6. Saint Mary’s 40. 7. Adrian 48. 8. Olivet 58. 9. Albion 62.
