ALBION, Mich. – Albion College came as close as it could to finish its season with an impressive win over a Trine University squad whose only losses have been to the top two teams in Division III. Trine staved off match point in the fourth set as it walked off the Kresge Gymnasium floor with a 20-25, 25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13 victory over Albion.

"We've talked about playing with heart and passion," Coach Kristin Slamer de-St. Aubin said of the Britons spirited effort. "We didn't have anything to lose in this situation. For us to go this close with Trine speaks of how good we are and we're going to be.

"I know what the vision holds for us," de St. Aubin added. "It's about what we're going to do because we know we're that close."

Trine took away Albion's attack on the outside, so Stephanie Thurner stepped up with one of the best performances of her collegiate career. She hit .302 with 17 kills and four errors in 43 attacks. She also matched her career-high of five blocks.

"Stephanie has had some of the biggest growth out of a player," de St. Aubin said. "She came in as a right side hitter and has developed into our strongest blocker and our strongest attacker."

de St. Aubin said it was Albion's best blocking performance of the season. Jessica Konieczny was credited with four block assists and Caitlin McClorey, the lone senior on the Albion roster, had three block assists.

Albion cracked 13 kills – the most it had in any set – as it tried to win the match in the fourth set. The Britons rallied to forge a 22-22 tie as Thurner produced a kill and Trine committed hitting errors on consecutive points. Lauren Outwater scored a kill and a Trine hitting error brought Albion to match point with a 24-23 lead. Emma Bowman, a first-year player, terminated the final points as Trine escaped and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.

Albion rallied from an 8-4 deficit in the fifth set behind three Trine hitting errors. Albion never gained the lead, however, as Bowman scored a pair of kills late in the set.