CHICAGO, Ill. – The Alverno College volleyball team competed closely in stretches but fell in straight sets to Illinois Tech, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-12), on Saturday afternoon in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play at Keating Sports Center.

Defensively, Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) anchored the back row with 12 digs, also adding an assist, while senior setter Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) added eight digs and four assists. Freshman Leilani Curtis (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) led the team with three block assists while sophomore Makiyah Buck (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis) and Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science & Technology: Montview) each added a pair of block assists.

Freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) led the team with six kills on the day, while sophomore Elyse Kozikowski (Watertown, Wis./Dodgeland) added three kills, three service aces, and three assists. Needham also tallied the lone solo block of the day and added a block assist.

As a team, Alverno tallied six blocks and 35 digs for a strong defensive effort, while an efficient hitting day paced the Scarlet Hawks' attack as they hit. 258 (36 kills – 13 errors – 89 attempts) powered by a final set where they hit .364.
With the result, Alverno moves to 3-19 overall (0-9 NACC), while Illinois Tech improves to 10-13 (5-5 NACC). The Inferno return home Tuesday, Oct. 28, as they host Beloit College in their non-conference finale in the Reiman Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

The opening set was a back-and-forth battle throughout, featuring long rallies and scrappy defense on both sides. Alverno pulled within two points late, trailing just 22-20 after a Holly King (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) kill and attack error by the opposition, but Illinois Tech capitalized late with a 3-0 run to take the frame, 25-20.

In the second set, the Inferno showed resilience after an early deficit, rallying behind a strong serving run from Kozikowski, who tallied an ace and kill to prevent the Scarlett Hawks from building an insurmountable early lead. Alverno continued to fight, pulling to within one point at 19-18 after another kill from Kozikowski and a pair of errors from Illinois Tech. The Scarlett Hawks, however, finished the game on a 6-0 run, capped by a Sydney Wilson kill to take the commanding two-set lead.

The third set saw Illinois Tech jump out quickly before Alverno responded with back-to-back service aces from Kozikowski to close within four. However, the Scarlet Hawks surged ahead behind an efficient offensive performance, closing out the match 25-12.

Victoria Aspurez and Karla Trautmann Mendez led the Illinois Tech attack on Saturday, each tallying nine kills, with Aspurez hitting .692 and adding four service aces. Rowan Midgette tallied the only double-double of the day with a game-high 24 assists and 10 digs while also adding four service aces. 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