FOND DU LAC, Wis. – The Alverno College volleyball team battled through three competitive sets on the road Thursday night but came up short against Marian University, falling 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-18) in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) action inside Sadoff Gymnasium.

Freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) led the Inferno attack with a team-high 15 kills on an efficient .295 hitting percentage, adding four digs and one block assist for another well-rounded effort. Senior setter Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) directed the offense with 16 assists while collecting eight digs, nearly recording her fifth double-double of the season.

Freshman Holly King (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) also turned in a strong night, tallying eight kills, 10 digs, and a service ace, while Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) anchored the defense with 14 digs and chipped in two service aces. Her twin sister, Beyonca Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial), tallied seven assists and seven digs to contribute on both ends for the Inferno.

As a team, Alverno hit .132 (33 kills – 17 errors – 121 attempts) and totaled 49 digs and five service aces. Marian countered with a .159 hitting percentage (42-22-126), 60 digs, and four team blocks.

With the result, the Inferno fall to 2-20 overall (1-7 NACC), while Marian improves to 3-17 (0-8 NACC). Alverno returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 25, traveling to Chicago to take on Illinois Tech at the Keating Sports Center.

The opening set was a thriller, featuring 13 tie scores and nine lead changes. Alverno built an early 8-2 lead behind a series of strong serves from Brooklynne Hereford and kills from Needham. Marian rallied to even things late, bouncing back from a 23-17 deficit to tie the game at 23. From there, the teams traded points before Lily Breed and Harley Bartels stacked back-to-back kills to win the first set 28-26.

Set two mirrored the first with long rallies and tight play throughout. Needham and Leilani Curtis (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) powered the Inferno offense early, while Kooch racked up the assists to guide the Alverno hitters. The Inferno closed the gap late to 19-17 before the Sabres went on a 6-1 run to end the set and take the commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third, Alverno again came out swinging, taking an early lead behind Needham's front-row play, as Kooch capped off a 5-0 run with a kill to give her team a 9-6 lead. The Inferno led the game throughout, leading as late as 21-20 and tying the game at 23-23 after a 3-0 Marian run. The Sabres, however, got back-to-back kills to end the match, taking the 3-0 sweep over Alverno in conference play.  

Cassandra Arndt led the Sabres' offensive attack, hitting. 428 with nine kills, totaling two blocks and two digs. Lily Breed had a match-high 25 assists and tallied four service aces, while Mikalah Mueller led all Marian players with 14 digs and added eight kills. 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