Box Score
MASON, Ohio – Second-seeded Trevecca Nazarene pulled off a sweep of No. 1 seed Cedarville in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship final on Saturday, 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-19).
The Trojans won for three consecutive days in the postseason bracket while ultimately derailing the hopes of four straight conference tournament titles won by the Yellow Jackets.
As a result, TNU officially punched its ticket with the G-MAC’s first automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship Midwest Regional.
The Trojans will learn of their opening-round opponent and regional site following the NCAA Selection Show on Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Trevecca Nazarene’s road to the title began on Thursday with a five-set win against No. 3 Kentucky Wesleyan. TNU then took care of business in straight sets against No. 1 Alderson Broaddus before bringing down Cedarville in Mason Arena on Saturday.
The Trojans were considered a viable threat to interrupt a dominant run in the league’s young history by the Yellow Jackets.
Cedarville won both regular-season meetings, but needed five sets to put away the Trojans on their home court in Nashville.
The third time was a charm for Trevecca Nazarene as the Trojans imposed their will up front with stout blocking that took away desired attacking angles by Cedarville’s talented outsides and middles.
In the first set, G-MAC Co-Player of the Year and the league’s current all-time leader in kills Katelyn Atkinson helped trigger a 5-1 run that snapped a 12-12 stalemate.
The Yellow Jackets closed the gap within three points on separate kills by the other G-MAC Co-Player of the Year Abby Shelton, but Atkinson countered with two more kills in TNU’s last three points.
TNU carried that momentum over into the second set with a 6-0 run that had the Yellow Jackets reeling after calling timeout down 15-7. Out of the timeout, TNU converged for three consecutive blocks before Atkinson and Loren Bennett denied CU attack attempt to five the Trojans a 2-0 lead.
A 7-1 run to open the third set, helped the Trojans finish the sweep as Atkinson powered down three kills in her team’s first seven points.
A Clare Taylor service ace gave TNU a 14-5 lead, but Cedarville cut the deficit down to 21-19 following a kill from Alyssa Barkley. Zakia Jackson clinched the set and the match.
The Trojans hit a strong .270 while 11 total blocks translated into an uncharacteristic .035 for Cedarville. Atkinson led all players with 17 kills while Bennett moved second in the all-time list in career assists with 40 more this afternoon.
Taylor and Zakia Jackson also had nine kills apiece. Shelton had 10 kills to lead Cedarville.