MILWAUKEE, Wis. – In their 2025 home opener, the Alverno College volleyball team earned its first win of the season, sweeping the visiting Maranatha Baptist Sabercats in three sets. Freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) was outstanding on the outside, finishing with a match-high 15 kills to lead the Inferno attack.

Needham was highly efficient, hitting .400 (15-3-30) while also contributing three service aces and three digs for an 18-point performance. Senior Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) paced the offense with 19 assists and chipped in eight digs. Defensively, freshman Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) led the way with 10 digs and added three assists. Fellow freshman Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science & Technology: Montview) had a strong presence in the middle, tallying seven kills along with a solo block and block assist for 8.5 points.

Alverno controlled nearly every statistical category, totaling 37 kills and 32 assists compared to Maranatha's 22 kills and 19 assists. The Sabercats defended well, out-digging the Inferno 54–53, but Alverno hit .184 (37-14-125) as a team while holding Maranatha to just .082 (22-14-97).

With the win, Alverno improves to 1-4 on the year and will next compete at the UMHB Tournament, facing host Mary Hardin-Baylor at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, before taking on Schreiner later that day at 3:45 p.m. Maranatha drops to 0-5 and will head to the Red Hawks Invitational, where they open with host Ripon on Friday, Sept. 12.

Alverno set the tone early in the opening set. After Maranatha tied the score at 5-5, the Inferno responded with an 8-0 run capped by a Mitchell block. Three additional 3-0 bursts throughout the set kept the Sabercats at bay, and Mitchell sealed the frame with a kill for the early 1-0 set lead.

The second set proved to be the tightest of the match, as the Maranatha Baptist Sabercats showed improvement from the first stanza. Maranatha led for much of the frame, pushing its advantage to as many as six before Alverno rallied with a 4-0 run to pull within 19-17. A Sabercat service ace made it 22-19, but Needham took over down the stretch. She delivered three kills during a 4-0 Inferno run to give Alverno its first lead since 4-3. After Maranatha fought back to earn two set points, Needham answered again—tying the score with a kill at 25-24 before closing the set with back-to-back service aces for a thrilling 27-25 win and a 2-0 match lead.

The third set showcased Alverno's resilience. Leading 12-7 after a 4-0 run that included two Kooch aces, the Inferno saw Maranatha rally with six straight points to pull ahead 16-15. Alverno quickly regained control, winning five of the next six points behind kills from Mitchell and Needham to make it 20-17. The Inferno pushed the lead to 24-19, highlighted by two more Needham kills, and fittingly, the freshman closed out the match with her 15th kill to secure the 25-22 set win and the team's first victory of the season.

For Maranatha, Layla Damotte led with five kills and 10 digs, while Sara Fitz-Henry recorded a team-high 15 digs. Emma Scalzitte added 13 digs and eight assists, nearly posting a double-double. 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. Dominican on October 4^th at noon
• 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