RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Alverno College volleyball team turned in one of its strongest offensive outings on the road Saturday afternoon but came up short against Concordia University Chicago, falling 3-1 (25-23, 27-25, 19-25, 25-20) in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play inside Geiseman Gymnasium.

Senior Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) orchestrated the Inferno offense with 37 assists and 16 digs, her fourth straight double-double. Freshman Holly King (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) led the attack with a team-high 15 kills, while also contributing five service aces and 26 digs for a standout two-way performance. The double-double marked the first of Kings' career, as she also added four assists.

Freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) continued her strong play with 12 kills and two aces, hitting an efficient .290, while Elyse Kozikowski (Watertown, Wis./Dodgeland) added nine kills and two block assists. Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science & Technology: Montview) chipped in eight kills, and Carley Juneau (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis) tallied six kills on a .211 clip.

Defensively, freshman Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) anchored the back row with 23 digs, while her twin-sister Beyonca Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) added seven.

As a team, the Inferno hit .174 (53-22-178), their second-highest mark of the season, and recorded 10 service aces and 85 digs. Concordia Chicago finished with a .212 hitting percentage (60-22-179), recording 13 team blocks and 88 digs.

With the result, Alverno moves to 3-14 overall (0-5 NACC), while Concordia Chicago improves to 5-13 (1-4 NACC). The Inferno next plays at St. Norbert on Thursday, Oct. 16, for a road NACC Matchup in De Pere, Wisconsin, at 7 p.m.
The opening set was tight throughout, featuring several long rallies and strong defensive plays from King and Hereford. The Inferno rallied from a four-point deficit to trail 23-22 before the Cougars held on for the 25-23 win.

Set two was another back-and-forth battle, as Alverno erased multiple Concordia leads to force extra points before narrowly falling 27-25. Trailing 23-21, King tallied four kills and a service ace to give her team a 25-24 lead and a chance at set point, but the Cougars rallied for three straight points to take the second stanza.

The Inferno found their rhythm in set three, hitting .333 behind Needham's five kills and Kozikowski's steady play at the net to take the frame 25-19. The team led by as much as nine points early on, as a Needham service ace gave Alverno a 14-5 lead. Concordia Chicago battled back, getting as close as four points before the Inferno closed out the set with a King kill.

In the fourth, the Cougars controlled early on, but a 7-1 run by Alverno put them within a point at 18-17 as two Needham kills highlighted the outburst. Concordia built back its cushion, scoring five of the next six points, eventually winning 25-20 to secure the match.

Indiah Day had a match-high 18 kills, hitting a blistering .405, while also adding nine digs for the Cougars. Isabel Valle had a match-high 44 assists, tallying 13 digs as well for a double-double, while Lili Hunt had a strong day with 16 kills on a .324 hitting percentage. More Than a Game, 25 Years of Strength and Spirit: Alverno College is proud to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alverno Athletics. Since 2000, our student-athletes have embodied the spirit of competition, teamwork, and excellence both on and off the courts and fields. Join us in honoring a quarter-century of Inferno pride on the following dates as we celebrate 25 years of strength and spirit -

• Volleyball vs. Rockford on November 1^st at noon
• Softball vs. Maranatha on March 31^st at 3 p.m.
• Softball vs. Concordia Wisconsin on April 25 at noon