Volleyball swept by Trine in home opener

DEFIANCE, Ohio - The Defiance College volleyball team was swept by Trine in three competitive sets Tuesday night in the home opener at Karl H. Weaner Center. Trine took the match with scores of 26-24, 25-21, 25-21. The Thunder improve to 2-6 with the win and the loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 0-8. 

It was a very evenly matched first set. Both teams recorded 46 total attacks in the set and Defiance committed only one error compared to three by the Thunder. Trine would have a 20-14 advantage in kills. The Thunder struck first with a kill by Catherine Dobies and the Yellow Jackets would answer with three straight points led by kills from both Abi Teders and Kaylynn Wellman. The set featured 16 ties and neither team would lead by more than three at any point in the set. An ace by Madison Dominick gave trine a 24-22 lead. Following the ace, Madison followed it up with a service error and an Abby Altizer kill tied it at 24. That would be the end for the Yellow Jackets in the set as Trine closed it out with two kills.

In set two, Trine once again would jump out on top by winning the first point. A kill by Shelby Clements and an error by Trine would give the Yellow Jackets their only lead of the set at 2-1. The Thunder followed by winning the next four points and they would continue to hold a slim lead throughout the set. Defiance would tie the set at 9 after a service error from Olivia Jolliffe. The Yellow Jackets trailed by as many as five points in the set. Blocks by Shelby Clements and Jaelyn Tomoletz made it 23-20 but Trine closed the set out by winning two of the final three points. 

It was a slow start for the Yellow Jackets as they found themselves down 6-0 to begin set three. A kill by Kaylynn Wellman finally got DC on the board and Ellie Belvo followed with another kill. The Thunder led by as many as nine points in the set. Defiance made it interesting late. Trailing 21-13, the Yellow Jackets rattled off five straight points to make it 21-18. Wellman and Belvo both recorded kills to claw closer. A service error from Emma Chafins clinched the match for the Thunder.

Trine finished the match with 45 kills, 41 assists, and 56 digs. Defiance finished with 32 kills, 27 assists, and 46 digs. 

Wellman led the team in kills with nine and Belvo finished with eight. Amina Chamoun had a team-high 12 assists and Chafins and Clements would finish with double digit digs. Catherine Dobies and Anna Zellers were key contributors for Trine.

The Yellow Jackets travel to Michigan tomorrow night for another non conference matchup, this time against Olivet at 6:30 p.m.