MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee Area Technical College women's volleyball opened its 2026 season with a statement Thursday, showcasing both resilience and dominance at the MATC Triangular at Reiman Gymnasium. MATC clawed back to outlast Kankakee Community College in a five‑set battle to kick things off before rolling past Kennedy‑King in a commanding 3–0 sweep to secure a perfect 2–0 start to the season. The strong start marks the Stormers' third straight season‑opening victory and their first home season opener since 2021.

"Being able to start the season at home is an advantage," Stormers head coach Shel DeLisle said. "We have great fans and our parents always show up with food; a great motivator for the team. Being able to win at home is a great kickoff that we hope to continue."

The undefeated start also offered the first real glimpse into the Stormers' freshman‑heavy roster, with seven newcomers making their collegiate debuts and each seeing the floor throughout the afternoon. Lydia Johnson and Aubrey Schwent steadied the back row, while Ella Azbell, Olivia Graves and Isabella Bloom added length and athleticism at the pins. Onyx Burdette and Dorothy Hoagland brought versatility and size in the front row, giving MATC flexibility with its lineups. For a large freshman group logging its first college action, the newcomers showed poise, energy and a promising learning curve as they settled into the pace of NJCAA play, beginning with a barn burner against KCC.

Match 1: MATC 3, KCC 2 (25–21, 18–25, 18–25, 25–15, 15–12)

MATC's season opener had the feel of a team learning itself in real time, grinding through momentum swings before finally settling into the identity it carried to a five‑set tiebreaker win. The Stormers controlled much of the first set, building an early cushion and answering every Kankakee push with steady attacks. Even when the frame tightened late, Annika Romine delivered a pair of timely kills to restore separation, and a Hope Martens ace closed out a composed 25–21 set‑one victory.

The next two sets belonged to Kankakee, which capitalized on MATC miscues and seized control behind solid defense and a hot hitting hand. MATC briefly showed life, including a short run sparked by Natalia Farrugia in the third, but the Stormers spent most of the middle frames chasing the match and were unable to disrupt KCC's rhythm in back‑to‑back 25–18 losses.

Everything changed in the fourth set. MATC looked like a different team, playing with cleaner first contact, sharper tempo and a renewed sense of urgency. Farrugia and Bloom ignited the offense, and once the Stormers strung together a six‑point burst fueled by blocks, an ace and sustained pressure at the net to take a commanding 16–9 lead, the match flipped. The 25–15 win served as a complete reset.

"We just needed to take a second and regroup after that third set," Martens said. "All of us needed to settle in, play our roles and focus on what we each had to do individually so we could come together and execute as a team. Once we did that, everything started to flow again."

The fifth set carried all the tension expected from an opener. MATC built small leads, Kankakee erased them, and the frame swung through ties at 4, 10 and 11, including a late 12–11 deficit. However, the Stormers held firm. Kayleah Laughlin hammered a kill to spark the final push, KCC committed two errors, and Martens finished the match with a setter dump after a long rally to secure the 15–12 victory.

"Normally on those long rallies, everyone is scrambling," Martens said of her match‑winning play. "I noticed their libero was deeper than usual and the setter was not in her normal spot, and I knew I was a little farther back than I typically am. It was an unexpected play, so I figured I would take a chance and see what happened, and it ended up working."

The comeback also gave DeLisle a clearer look at how her young roster responded under pressure, especially in its first match of the season.

"It was a rough start, but it was our first match and we had some things to work through," DeLisle said. "We have a lot of big hitters, but we were not entirely sure yet how all the pieces would fit. In the end, they showed they were gamers and they pulled it out. For a stretch, it looked like we lost our composure, but they settled back in and finished strong against KCC. That kind of developing maturity on the court is very promising for future matches."

STAT BOOK
Farrugia led the Stormers' attack, finishing with a team‑high five aces along with two blocks and three block assists, and she added eight kills to round out a strong two‑way performance. Martens and Laughlin anchored the defense with 12 digs each, and Martens also handed out 10 assists. Laughlin paced MATC in kills with 11 while hitting .207, and Romine added seven kills with a .250 hitting efficiency.

Match 2: MATC 3, Kennedy‑King 0 (25–9, 25–3, 25–9)

MATC carried all the momentum from its five‑set comeback into the afternoon sweep against Kennedy‑King. The Stormers set the tone immediately, racing out to a 9–0 lead in set one behind the steady serving of Johnson, who opened the match on the service line and stacked three aces during the burst. With the offense in rhythm, Bloom, Romine, Farrugia, Hoagland and Laughlin each added early kills as MATC cruised to a 25–9 first‑set win.

The second frame was even more lopsided than the first. MATC jumped ahead 10–2 after back‑to‑back kills from Graves, and Azbell took over from there. Her serving run, which included five aces, broke the match open and pushed the Stormers to a dominant 25–3 victory that highlighted the team's depth and pressure from the service line.

The third set followed the same pattern. MATC started fast, Kennedy‑King struggled to keep pace and the Stormers dictated every phase of play. A 9–2 start behind multiple swings from the front line set the tone, and MATC added six more aces throughout the frame to close out a decisive 25–9 win and complete the sweep.

"I think we did a really good job keeping our pace up and making sure we stayed disciplined on our passes," Azbell said. "Even though the match was a little slower than what we are used to, we did not get lazy. We kept our focus and played the way we are supposed to."

The match offered a glimpse of MATC's potential when its serve‑pass game was sharp and its young pieces were clicking. All seven freshmen saw action again, and the Stormers' balance, from Johnson's early spark to Azbell's takeover in the second set, underscored how much raw potential this freshman class has yet to unlock.

"Ella had a nice serving run with five aces," DeLisle said. "I also liked the intensity from our first‑year players. Bloom brings strong intensity, and Hoagland provides good energy on the court. Our four returners are performing as expected, which is exactly what we need from our second‑year players."

STAT BOOK
Romine led the Stormers' offense with nine kills, and Laughlin added seven as MATC totaled 32 kills in the sweep. Romine posted a .900 hitting efficiency to pace the attack, and Graves contributed three kills with a .750 efficiency. Burdette handed out 13 assists and Martens added 12 to guide the offense. The serving line was the difference again, with Azbell recording a team‑high six aces and Farrugia adding five. Schwent chipped in three digs.

UP NEXT
MATC (2–0) returns to action Friday, Aug. 28, with a 7 p.m. home matchup against Olive‑Harvey College at Reiman Gymnasium in Milwaukee.