BELTON, Tex. – The Alverno College volleyball team wrapped up its weekend in Texas on Saturday, facing LeTourneau and Hardin-Simmons at the UMHB Tournament. The Inferno dropped both contests, falling for the second time this season to the Cowgirls of Hardin-Simmons.

With the results, Alverno moves to 1-8 on the year and will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 18, when they travel to Maranatha Baptist for a 7 p.m. match.

LeTourneau 3, Alverno 0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-17)
The Yellowjackets controlled the match from the start, and while Alverno forced them into triple the errors in the third set compared to the first two, LeTourneau still secured the sweep. With the win, LeTourneau improved to 6-3, with one match remaining against host Mary Hardin-Baylor in the UMHB Tournament.

Freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) and Leilani Curtis (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) each tallied five kills, with Needham also adding a service ace for a team-high six points. Fellow freshman Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) and Holly King (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) led the defense, recording 13 and 10 digs, respectively. Senior Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) contributed six assists, nine digs, and a service ace.

LeTourneau's offense proved dominant, outkilling Alverno 52-31 while also posting a 35-13 advantage in assists. The Yellowjackets hit .228 (35-12-101), including .345 and .360 in the first two sets.

Alverno held an early 4-2 lead in set one after three straight points capped by a Needham ace, but LeTourneau answered with an 8-0 run to build a comfortable margin and finished 25-13 in the first stanza. The Yellowjackets hit .360 in set two, committing just three attack errors while rolling to a 25-9 win. In the third, a 9-0 LeTourneau run gave them a 19-9 lead, but Alverno responded with an 8-4 push to pull within six. The Inferno's rally was fueled by Yellowjacket miscues, but LeTourneau closed out the sweep, 25-17, for their sixth victory of the year.

Kaylyn Taylor led LeTourneau with 10 kills and 10 points, adding five digs. Grace Talkington narrowly missed a double-double with 19 assists and eight digs, while Emma Smith chipped in six kills, four block assists, and eight digs.

Hardin-Simmons 3, Alverno 1 (25-12, 22-25, 25-9, 25-10)
Hardin-Simmons defeated Alverno for the second time this season but needed four sets, as the Inferno rallied to take the second frame behind strong efforts from Needham and King.

Needham led the way with 13 kills and three block assists, finishing with 14.5 points. King added seven kills, two aces, nine digs, and nine total points. Kooch matched her career high with 23 assists and tallied three aces and four digs. Curtis defended well at the net, recording one solo block and two block assists while contributing four kills. Freshman Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science & Technology: Montview) added five kills with just one error on 10 swings, plus two block assists.

The Cowgirls hit .382 (52-10-110), outkilling Alverno 52-31 and adding 12 service aces to the Inferno's eight. Alverno posted 45 digs defensively, but Hardin-Simmons countered with 60.

The Cowgirls opened the first set with a 12-3 lead, but Alverno answered with a 4-0 run highlighted by a King kill, a Needham-Mitchell block, and back-to-back aces from King. After trading runs, Hardin-Simmons closed the set on an 8-1 stretch to win 25-12.

Alverno answered in the second, hitting .263 (14-4-38) in a 25-22 victory. Needham notched six kills in the frame, including the clinching point. After jumping to a 4-0 lead, the Inferno held off several rallies, eventually building a 21-13 cushion thanks to Mitchell's back-to-back kills and Cowgirl errors. Hardin-Simmons pulled within two late, but Alverno held on to even the match, 25-22.

The Cowgirls responded by dominating the final two sets, hitting .391 and .333 to take them 25-9 and 25-10.

Abbi Allen and Ellie Carter led the way with 12 kills apiece for Hardin-Simmons in the win, with Allen adding four block assists to finish with 14 points. 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