WATERTOWN, Wis. – The Alverno College volleyball team took down Maranatha Baptist on the road Thursday night, defeating the Sabercats in straight sets for their second sweep of Maranatha this season. Dating back to last year, the Inferno have now won four straight matches and 10 consecutive sets against the Sabercats.

A strong defensive effort was the key for Alverno, as the Inferno forced Maranatha into 27 attacking errors and held them to a -.025 hitting percentage (24-27-120). The Inferno, meanwhile, committed just 13 errors—including only three in each of the last two sets—as they limited mistakes to complete the sweep. While the teams were nearly even in most statistical categories, Alverno's 14 fewer attacking errors proved to be the difference.

Freshmen Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science & Technology) and Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) anchored the defense in the Inferno win. Mitchell tallied the team's lone solo block, added a block assist, and picked up three digs, while also contributing five kills on 15 attempts with no errors for a .333 hitting percentage. Hereford led the team with 10 digs, also adding the assist on the game's final point. Offensively, freshman Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte) once again paced the Inferno attack, posting a team-high nine kills along with three service aces for 12.5 points. Senior Sharisty Kooch (Terrebonne, Ore./Redmond) dished out 12 assists, while freshman Beyonca Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) nearly notched a double-double with nine assists and eight digs. Freshman Holly King (Richland Center, Wis./Ithaca) also had a solid all-around performance with five kills, three assists, and nine digs.

With the win, Alverno improves to 2-8 on the season and will return home for its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) opener against Wisconsin Lutheran on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. Maranatha Baptist drops to 0-10 and will compete at the Faith Invitational tomorrow in Ankeny, Iowa.

Maranatha took advantage of early Inferno miscues to grab a 7-3 lead, but Alverno responded quickly. After the Sabercats briefly pulled ahead 9-7, the Inferno rattled off a 7-0 run to take control. Alverno held the lead the rest of the way and used a late 4-0 spurt to push the margin to 23-15, capped by a Needham kill. Despite a small rally from Maranatha, two Sabercat errors secured a 25-18 opening-set victory for the Inferno.

Three separate 4-0 runs powered the Inferno to a commanding two-set advantage. Sophomore Kaysee Acker (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) capped the first run with a service ace to give Alverno the lead for good, as they held an early 8-5 advantage. Needham fueled the second run with a kill and two aces, pushing the Inferno ahead 12-7. Later, freshman Leilani Curtis (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) delivered two late kills during the final run, stretching the lead to 23-17. Mitchell finished the set with a kill from Kooch to seal a 25-20 win.

The Inferno had to rally in the final frame after falling behind by as many as six points at 15-9. Alverno regrouped, committing just three errors in the set while forcing 10 from Maranatha. Trailing 20-17, the Inferno strung together a 4-0 run to grab their first lead since 4-3. The Sabercats briefly regained a 22-21 edge, but three straight Alverno points—including another Needham kill—brought the Inferno to match point. After Maranatha extended the set with a point, the match ended dramatically: a set from Beyonca Hereford went over the net, deflected off the Sabercats, and landed out of bounds, giving her the kill and her twin, Brooklynne, the match-clinching assist in the 25-23 victory.

For Maranatha, Kindra Smith and Tessa Hinze each finished with seven kills, while Emma Scalzatti tallied 12 assists and seven digs. 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