HOUSTON, Tex. – The Alverno College volleyball team opened its 2025 season at the UST Opening Weekend Tournament, hosted by the University of St. Thomas-Houston. The Inferno dropped both matches to open the year, first to Schreiner, 3-0 (25-11, 25-22, 25-12), and then to Hardin-Simmons, 3-0 (25-7, 25-6, 25-10).
With the results, Alverno moves to 0-2 on the season and will face host St. Thomas-Houston and Mary Hardin-Baylor tomorrow, Aug. 30, at 11:15 a.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Schreiner improves to 1-0 with its victory, while Hardin-Simmons goes to 2-0 after also defeating Adrian earlier in the day, 3-0.
Schreiner 3, Alverno 0 (25-11, 25-22, 25-12)
Alverno dropped its first match of the season to the Schreiner Mountaineers, who swept the Inferno to open their 2025 campaign.
Schreiner hit .261 overall, including a .370 clip in the opening set, while Alverno was held to .038. The Mountaineers held slim edges in both digs (46-41) and kills (34-27), while also controlling the match in service aces (12-1) and blocks (4-1).
Senior
Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) had a strong season debut, nearly recording a double-double with a team-high 19 assists and nine digs. Freshman
Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) led the way offensively with 10 kills, while fellow freshmen
Holly King (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) and
Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science & Technology: Montview) chipped in six kills apiece. Defensively, King added 10 digs, while freshman
Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) anchored the back row with 14 digs.
The Mountaineers stormed out to a 6-0 lead in the first set before Alverno answered with four straight points, highlighted by three Kooch assists, including back-to-back kills from Needham. Schreiner then responded with 10 unanswered points to seize control and closed out the set, 25-11.
The second set followed a similar script, with Schreiner jumping ahead 7-1. Alverno battled back to close within two late at 24-22, but the early deficit proved too much as Schreiner sealed the set, 25-22.
In the third, Alverno took its first lead of the day at 3-2 after a Needham kill and stayed even at 5-5. However, Schreiner pulled away with a series of runs to build a 19-8 advantage before finishing the match with a 25-12 win.
For Schreiner, Giana Hilliard led the attack with eight kills on a .444 hitting percentage, while adding 12 digs and three service aces.
Hardin-Simmons 3, Alverno 0 (25-7, 25-6, 25-10)
In their second match of the day, Alverno fell to Hardin-Simmons as the Cowgirls swept in three sets.
The Cowgirls, picked third in their conference preseason poll, showcased a balanced offense, hitting .419 across the match with 30 kills compared to Alverno's 11, also adding 19 service aces. Defensively, the Inferno competed closely in digs but still trailed, 37-24.
Hereford once again paced the defense with 10 digs and added two service aces. Kooch finished with eight assists, while Needham led the offense with four kills.
For Hardin-Simmons, Rachel Nordt tallied six kills on a .545 hitting percentage, while Leigh Jespersen fueled the team from the service line with six aces.
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