ADA, Ohio - It ended in heartbreak for the Trine University volleyball team at the Ohio Northern Tournament, as they finished the tournament 0-4 including two five-set losses on the final day.

On Friday, the Thunder fell 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-17) to #12 Heidelberg and 3-1 (26-24, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19) to Thiel. Junior setter Sarah Radekin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) took over the career lead in assists during the Thiel game where she finished with 35 assists.

On day two, Trine battled through tough matches with Ohio Northern and Carnegie Mellon. The first game of the day saw the Thunder take a 2-1 lead before falling in the fourth set to Ohio Northern. In the final set, the Polar Bears rattled off four of the final six points to take the match (25-22, 17-25, 29-31, 25-21, 18-16).

Game two saw Trine battle it down to the end once again, but this time it was the Tartans who snatch the win away. After Trine trailed 2-1, the Thunder came fighting back to win the fourth set and send it into the decisive final set. The Tartans wouldn't let Trine get going offensively in the decisive set as they held them to just three points to take the game (25-15, 17-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-3).

Despite the frustration, the Thunder showed they can hang with some of the top teams in the region. In their game against Ohio Northern, the Thunder cCollected 65 total kills, second most in a game since 2003. In addition, the 59 assists in the same game ranks tied for seventh since 2003.

Junior Betsy Irwin (Athens, Ohio/Alexander) collected 43 kills in the four games including a game-high 18 against Ohio Northern and 17 against Carnegie Mellon. Irwin also swatted down 13 blocks (five solo and eight assisted). Freshman Kaci Heeter (Nappanee, Ind./Northwood) also had an outstanding weekend knocking down 41 kills including a team-high 12 against Thiel.

Radekin dished out 144 assists over the course of the tournament including 53 against Ohio Northern and 44 against Carnegie Mellon.

On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore Darcy Crabtree (Gaston, Ind./Wes-Del) dug up 20 or more digs in three of the four games with 24 coming against Carnegie Mellon. Crabtree was also lethal from the service line, laying down six aces.

Trine will go on the road to take on Michigan-Dearborn and Lawrence Tech. in a tri-match on Wednesday, September 7 starting at 4:00 p.m.