NORMAL, Ill. — The Milwaukee Area Technical College women's volleyball team navigated what will likely stand as its toughest invitational of the season over the weekend, grinding through a Heartland Invitational slate stacked with two nationally ranked opponents and four matches in less than 24 hours. MATC dropped its first three contests in the gauntlet before closing the event with a late five‑set thriller that highlighted emerging contributors and renewed competitiveness.

Stormers head coach Shel Delisle said the group showed flashes early but struggled to maintain consistency against fierce competition.

"I was disappointed with our results this weekend," Delisle said. "We knew it would be a tough weekend with the No. 5 and No. 9 nationally ranked teams, but we did not rise to the occasion. The first set of the tournament looked great, but we could not sustain the effort. I don't think it is an ability or fitness issue, so we will be working on maintaining discipline and focus for more than 25 points. The tourney did help us identify a few unexpected gamers and we are hoping to build on that."

MATC opened Friday by stunning Parkland College, ranked No. 9 in the 2026 NJCAA Division II Week 1 poll, with a sharp and confident first set before ultimately falling 3–1 (25–15, 15–25, 11–25, 14–25). The Stormers looked fully in rhythm early, jumping on Parkland with aggressive serving and strong attacks to take the opener and signal they could compete when firing on the right cylinders. Sophomore Kayleah Laughlin led MATC with eight kills, two aces and a solo block, while sophomore Annika Romine added six kills. Sophomore Natalia Farrugia posted five kills, an ace and nine digs, and freshman Lydia Johnson anchored the back row with 11 digs. Sophomore Hope Martens finished with 10 assists, and freshman Dorothy Hoagland was strong at the net with two solo blocks and two block assists.

The Stormers then faced host Heartland Community College, ranked No. 5 nationally, and quickly found themselves unable to summon the sharp, first‑set spark they had shown earlier in the day. Heartland's pace hit immediately, and the Hawks never let MATC settle, rolling to a straight‑set win 25–8, 25–11 and 25–14. Even in the loss, Farrugia stayed steady, stacking seven error‑free kills and a .700 hitting mark. Martens added 10 assists and an ace, while Laughlin chipped in four kills and a team‑high five digs.

MATC showed improved rhythm Saturday morning against Lincoln Land Community College but dropped a competitive 3–0 (22–25, 16–25, 23–25) decision by a combined 14 points. Farrugia again paced the attack with eight kills and a .500 hitting percentage, adding two block assists and an ace. Laughlin posted seven kills, an ace, nine digs and a solo block. Martens totaled 14 assists, eight digs and an ace.

The Stormers saved their strongest performance for the finale, outlasting Danville Area Community College 3–2 (23–25, 25–20, 21–25, 25–21, 15–10) behind standout efforts from multiple players to snap a four‑match losing streak. Laughlin delivered her best match of the season with 17 kills, 12 digs, two aces, a solo block and a block assist, contributing 21 points to lead the Stormers offensively. Farrugia added nine kills, six aces, a solo block and two block assists for 18 points. Johnson supplied four aces and 16 digs, while Martens posted 21 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Isabella Bloom emerged as a key contributor with six kills, two aces, a solo block and two block assists. Freshman Olivia Graves stepped into the middle and added four kills, four aces and two block assists.

"Olivia was remarkable in this match, stepping in to play at middle," Delisle said. "She showed a drive to compete on the court."

UP NEXT

MATC (5–4) now turns its attention to a midweek road matchup at College of DuPage, with first serve set for 6 p.m. Wednesday in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Photo Credit :
Noah Romine