MORGANTOWN — It might appear after Trinity volleyball split with Notre Dame and Madonna in Wednesday night’s tri-match that the Warriors’ performance mirrored their 6-12 season results so far.
However, that view would not align with TCS first-year head coach Alycia Perrine’s assessment – not one bit – especially when her young team attained so many important developmental checkpoints, all in one night.
While it was true that Madonna (16-6) swept Trinity in the first match, 25-17 and 25-22, Perrine noted a marked improvement in her team’s compete level against the Class A powerhouse compared to their first meeting a month ago.
“We came out really hot in the first set,” she said, “and were playing really well against a really good team before some mistakes started to creep in, and then Madonna found their rhythm late to take the set. And our season-long tendency to start slowly in Set 2 really hurt us again, because we were down by ten early.”
But here’s where the Warriors’ evening – and maybe their season – took a big upswing.
“Instead of getting down, getting on each other, or deciding that this one was over,” Perrine smiled, “we fought back, and played with the most heart, drive, and motivation that we’ve shown all year. It’s very hard to come back in volleyball – you must play close to mistake-free for long stretches, since every side out costs you a point. But we did that and pushed them right to the end.”
After the Blue Dons quickly dispatched Notre Dame (4-13) in the second match for the sweep, the Warriors took the court again, hoping to take care of business against a less polished rival.
That was taken care of, as Trinity served well early to take a seven-point lead midway through the first set. The volleyball was exciting, with many long points, athletic digs, and hustle plays, and a spate of Trinity hitting and service errors allowed the Fighting Irish to creep to within two at 16-14, but the Warriors regained their form at the service line – especially junior libero Lainey Jackson and sophomore Cayla Mcclurg – to close out Set 1, 25-16.
“I thought we did a good job of staying focused and playing well down the stretch,” Perrine continued, “and then we kept the momentum up into Set No. 2, which allowed us to put the nail in the coffin.”
The Warriors jumped out to a 5-1 lead, were never threatened, and completed the sweep at 25-13.
“I don’t believe that our record reflects who were are right now as a team,” she concluded, “because we are so young (only four upperclassmen – seniors Jillian Conn and Keiara Johnston and juniors Jackson and Marlo Flecker), and as a first-year coach, I had a lot of learning about what these girls can do. We still have a lot left to accomplish – OVAC and Mason-Dixon tournaments, then the postseason), and I’m so proud of what we gained tonight, and how much we’ve grown this season.”
The Warriors are off until 7 p.m. Thursday, when they host rival Clay-Battelle on Senior Night.
