Volleyball preview: NCAA Championship First Round

vs. No. 21 Trinity (Texas) (28-9, 13-1 SCAC)

Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center (1,500) | Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Bracket

Time: Friday, Nov. 14 – 5:30 p.m. PT

Location: Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center/1,500)

Live Stream: www.CLUSports.com/video - $5 per match

Live Stats: www.CLUSports.com

Tickets: Adults - $10, students/senior citizens/military - $5, children under 2 - Free 

Last Meeting: La Verne def. Trinity, 25-20, 16-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-10, on Sept. 8, 2012

La Verne Quick Hits:

• La Verne is making its 25^th NCAA Tournament appearance, tied for fifth-most in Division III

• Junior outside hitter Brittany Yaxley returns to the dance after notching 35 total kills in the First (Hardin-Simmons) and Second (Cal Lutheran) Rounds of the 2012 NCAA National Championships as a freshman … Yaxley was named to 2014 First Team All-SCIAC after earning Second Team honors in 2013 … Yaxley is ranked 19^th and 8^th nationally in kills per set (4.19) and points per set (5.16), respectively, this season … Yaxley led the league in service aces per set (0.85)

• Sophomore middle blocker Kelsi Robinson claimed her first All-SCIAC honors for her breakout season in 2014 … she is ranked fourth in the nation in blocks per set at 1.37 and has eight matches with five or more total blocks … a dual-threat, Robinson has also been efficient on offense with 2.55 kills per set on .301 hitting

• The Leopards are ranked in the top-30 in the nation in assists per set (12.18, 30^th), blocks per set (2.29, 13^th), kills per set (13.33, 23^rd) and hitting percentage (.249, 12^th)

Trinity (Texas) Quick Hits:

• Trinity is making its 21^st NCAA Tournament appearance … the Tigers have captured two straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference titles … head coach Julie Jenkins was named the 2014 SCAC Co-Coach of the Year

• The Tigers are led by a trio of All-Americans Maggie Emodi (2012, 2013), Layne Hubbard (2012) and Erin Cusenbary (2013) … Emodi is ranked 18^th nationally in total kills and finished the regular season with 469 kills and 477 digs … Cusenbary is one of the only players in the nation who can match Kelsi Robinson at the net; Cusenbary is ranked fourth in the nation in total blocks (151) and 15^th in blocks per set (1.18) … Hubbard has 274 kills and 465 digs this season

• Trinity went 2-1 against SCIAC opponents in 2014 … the Tigers beat Pomona-Pitzer (3-1) and No. 18 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (3-0), but lost to No. 3 Cal Lutheran (3-0)