SAN ANTONIO — Southwestern volleyball wrapped up its regular season with another win over Schreiner in three sets and a loss to No. 2-ranked Trinity in four sets.
Southwestern 3, Schreiner 0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-10)
Southwestern put on a dominant defensive performance that gained strength as the match went on, holding Schreiner to single-digit kills in all three sets, including a .000 hitting percentage in the final two sets.
Ali Grona led Southwestern with 16 digs, and only one Mountaineer had more than five kills, with Kayla Lofland recording eight.
"Listening to this team push one another and stating volleyball specific needs from one another is valuable for our continued success," Southwestern head volleyball coach Don Flora says. "Holding Schreiner to a .010 hitting percentage is clearly showing the effort needed to defend at a high level."
Emma White and Andie Valenzuela were the focal points of the Pirate attack, combining for an efficient 21 kills. White had a match-high 13 kills on a .417 hitting percentage with six digs, a service ace, and a block assist. Valenzuela posted nine kills on a .533 hitting percentage. Christina Kuras also contributed eight kills on a .353 hitting percentage.
"Emma and Christina were very clean from start to finish in the match versus Schreiner on the outside," Flora says.
Southwestern won its first set against No. 2-ranked Trinity before the Tigers swept the next three, holding the Pirates to under .100 hitting over those final three sets.
"The last evening match versus Trinity was two quality teams battling. Seeing this team execute the game plan and get rolling was an important sign for us," Flora says. "There were two or three-point runs that we did not execute to get through on top in the final sets."
Lauren Crabtree led Southwestern with 13 kills on a .370 hitting percentage, and White contributed 12 on a .139 clip. Grona had 19 digs, and setter Claire Romo had 13 digs and 19 assists.
"Seeing this team work and grind through long rallies is an example that when we do our good longer, we can and will find the outcome we are working toward," Flora says. "Defensively, we did a lot of nice things. Now, we need to be able to turn some block touches into some control blocks and stuff blocks. We did a solid job from the service line for most of the match. We will continue to grow and develop as we head into the SCAC Championships."
Southwestern wraps up its regular season with a 22-4 record, including 12-4 in conference play. The Pirates' only losses came to Trinity and Colorado College, who are both ranked in the top 10. Southwestern will travel to San Antonio next weekend to compete in the SCAC Tournament.
