MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Alverno College volleyball team showed flashes of strong play throughout each set but ultimately fell in straight sets to Aurora University on Saturday afternoon inside Reiman Gymnasium. The Spartans claimed the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) match by scores of 25-10, 25-14, and 25-14.

Freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) and junior Makiyah Buck (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis) led the Inferno offense with four kills apiece, with each adding a block assist. Senior Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) was the offensive catalyst with nine assists while also adding a pair of kills and a service ace.

Defensively, freshmen Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science and Technology: Montview) and Carley Juneau (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis) each tallied a pair of block assists, while Mitchell also had a solo block.

As a team, Alverno recorded 13 assists, nine digs, and four team blocks, while Aurora hit .446 (41-12-65) with six total blocks and 11 service aces.

With the result, Alverno drops to 3-16 overall (0-7 NACC) and Aurora improves to 16-7 (7-0 NACC). The Inferno will return to action on Thursday, Oct. 23, when they travel to Marian for a NACC matchup at 7 p.m.

The Inferno showed improvement as the match progressed but were unable to stymie the hot-hitting Spartans. The visiting team tallied just six hitting errors in the first set and then went on to commit just six more over the final two sets, hitting .500 and .524 in the final stanzas. Alverno continued to battle in the third, using kills from Kooch and Buck to stay within three early in the match before Aurora pulled away for the third set victory and sweep.

Addyson Timpane led the Spartans with nine kills on nine attempts for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, while Samantha Torres also added nine kills and two block assists. Meredith Milz led the way with a game-high 23 assists, while Trinity Nelson added 12 in just one set of play. 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