Dalton Christopher
Assistant Athletic Director - Communications & Media
dchristopher@transy.edu

LEXINGTON, KY - Transylvania University hosted Hope College, Wisconsin Whitewater, Mount Union, Mount St. Joseph and Wisconsin Eau Claire at the 2024 Transy Invitational on Friday, September 27th and Saturday, September 28th. 

The event, initially held at the Clive M. Beck Center, was transitioned to Paul Laurence Dunbar after severe weather conditions prompted a power outage ahead of set four of the opening match with MSJ and Mt. Union. Despite the cancelation of the remainder of the matches on Friday, Transylvania staff were able to transition the event to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School with an amended schedule for an action packed Saturday afternoon with some of the top programs in Division III. 

"I want to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped pull this weekend off," said Amy Barmore, Head Coach of Transylvania. "A big thank you goes to Dunbar for allowing us to use their space and helping with the logistics. We have been waiting for this event for over a year, and we were glad we could pull off some of the matches. I am proud of my team for adjusting as much as they could have and being so patient and understanding."

Transylvania's matches with Wisconsin Eau Claire and Mount Union were canceled due to the consolidation of the event. Transylvania took on #4 Hope and #3 Wisconsin Whitewater on Saturday. 

In the match against #4 Hope, the flying Dutch used a series of early runs to take an early 15-6 advantage in the opening set. Kills from Cate Scheper and Kayden Holcomb would help the Pioneers respond, cutting the lead to six. Hope would respond with another run, ultimately winning the opening set 25-15. 

In the second set, Hope started with a 10-4 lead, but Transy would respond with kills from Grace Ward and Scheper to rally. Holcomb would score the next three points for the Pioneers, cutting the lead to 16-11. Holcomb would score the final three kills for the Pioneers, but Hope would win the second set 25-17. 

In the final set, Transy would open with a strong offensive start, taking an 8-5 advantage behind kills from Scheper and Holcomb, as well as an ace from Maggie Harrison. The two teams would exhange short runs for a competitive set, but a final four point run from Hope would seal the 25-17 set win, and the 3-0 victory for the Dutch. 

In the match against #3 Wisconsin Whitewater, Transy would open with a 10-7 run. Kills from Ward, Scheper and Holcomb would give the Pioneers an opportunity to extend their lead, 14-8. A kill from Addie Atcher would end a four point response from Wisconsin Whitewater, and give a 17-14 lead. The Warhawks would respond, mounting a four point run to take the 18-17 lead. Transy would respond with two kills from Holcomb and another from Atcher to take a 22-20 advantage, with Transy ultimately winning the opening set 27-25. 

The Warhawks would respond in the second set, opening with a 17-10 advantage. Kills from Isabella Myers, Atcher and Holcomb would help Transy end the run, trimming the lead to 24-16, but the Warhawks would take the second set 25-16. In the third set, the Warhawks would continue their run with a 14-11 lead. Transy would rally with points from Megan Sweeney, Scheper and Ward to take a 17-16 advantage. Holcomb and Scheper would score the next five for the Pioneers, taking a 22-20 lead. The Warhawks would secure the set three win with four straight points, 25-23. In the final set, Wisconsin Whitewater would start with a 13-7 lead that they would not lose. Three kills from Scheper and a kill from Holcomb would trim the lead to 19-13, however the Warhawks would close things out with a 25-15 win and a 3-1 overall victory. 

Head Coach Amy Barmore was proud of the efforts from Transylvania, especially the performance from Kayden Holcomb. 

"Kayden had a great weekend, she led us with ten kills and hitting .471 against Hope," Barmore said. "She led us against Whitewater with 16 kills, hitting a .433. Addie Atcher added ten kills, four blocks, hitting a .333. I am happy with how we showed up against Whitewater. I believe we know where we are after this weekend and we are ready to get back to work. Conference play starts this Saturday and we are ready to go."

Up next for Transy is HCAC competition, as the Pioneers host Bluffton on Saturday, October 5th at 2 p.m.

Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the HCAC. To keep up to date with all of Transylvania Athletics, check out our website at www.transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.