ANGOLA, Ind. – When the Adrian women's volleyball team last visiting Trine during the regular-season, the Bulldogs were "served off the floor," as put by head coach David Kwan. The 10-year leader of the program saw a much improved performance from his team this time around, despite the eventual result that brought an end to Adrian's 2021 campaign,

"I could not be more proud of this group," expressed Kwan postgame. "We were kind of the underdogs coming into tonight with young our team is, but they fought all the way to the end, and played their hearts out."

The homestanding Thunder got the final say at Hershey Hall on Tuesday evening, defeating the visitors in five-set thriller to advance in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) postseason.

Within moments of the game's opening serve, it was clear that this quarterfinal match-up would be nothing short of a heart-stopper.

Trine slipped ahead in the early stages of the game's first set, building a 14-11 advantage before the Bulldogs responded with a 5-0 counter attack. Despite the push by Adrian, the Thunder regained their footing to eventually clinch the first frame, 25-22.

The locals were not prepared to let their earlier-season meeting with their opposition repeat itself.  After allowing Trine to sneak out to a 4-3 lead at the start of the second set, the Bulldogs got to work to put the hosts behind them.

Three consecutive errors by the Thunder generated all the momentum Adrian would need to take control of the set, and behind the six-kill effort of Erikah Bower, the 'Dogs did just that, tying the match at 1-1 with a 25-19 set victory.

The black and gold proceeded to carry that momentum in the third set, opening up a 5-0 cushion to force Trine on the ropes. The Thunder, however, had other plans, erupting for a 13-2 run en route to a convincing 25-14 third-set decision.

With their heels on the edge of elimination, the Bulldogs buckled down in the fourth set and completely turned the tables on their opponent.

A 9-2 stretch midway through the frame left Adrian in the driver's seat. Then, later on, a successful attack by Hailey Farrell ultimately sparked the deciding 6-2 run that would push the match to a winner-take-all fifth set.

Trine muscled its way to the lead initially, producing a 7-3 scoreline to force an Adrian timeout.

Out of the huddle, the black and gold crawled their way back into contention, tying the set at 7-7, but the Thunder never allowed their visitors to sneak in front, eventually winning the determining set, 15-11.

Bower finished the night with a game-high 17 kills, while Mallory Dorow added 10 for Adrian.

Farrell turned in an outstanding showing with 40 assists. Lana Cox and Mya Minjares paced the 'Dogs defensively with 24 and 23 digs, respectively.

Tonight's result meant the end of four incredible careers within the women's volleyball program. Blaire Weiman, Lydia Christian and Julia Bell suited up one last time for the black and gold, while Allison Ashurst's tenure with the Bulldogs also drew to a close.

"We had a very outstanding, high-character senior class this season," said Kwan. "They each found ways to contribute throughout the season, and I am absolutely proud to have been their coach for the last four years."