Badgers Blanked on Opening Weekend

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Spring Hill College women's volleyball team opened its 2026 season against a pair of nationally competitive opponents at the SpringHill Suites Invitational, falling to Wheeling University, 3-0, on Thursday before dropping another 3-0 decision to Southwest Minnesota State on Friday.

Wheeling 3, Spring Hill 0

Spring Hill opened the season Thursday morning against Wheeling, with the Badgers pushing the Cardinals in the opening set before ultimately falling 26-24, 25-16, 25-15.
The Badgers came out strong in the opening frame, hitting .175 as a team and recording 14 kills. Spring Hill held a 15-11 advantage midway through the set before Wheeling rallied to even the score. The two teams remained within a point of one another late, but the Cardinals closed the set with the final two points to take the 1-0 lead.
Spring Hill stayed within striking distance in the second set, but Wheeling used a .333 hitting percentage to pull away for a 25-16 victory. The Cardinals then closed out the match with a 25-15 win in the third set.
Claire Hayes led the Badger attack with 10 kills while hitting .304, while Samaya Hennessy added seven kills and 12 digs. Quinn Thurman recorded five kills, two blocks, seven digs and an ace.
Cassie Creech directed the offense with 19 assists, while Ashlyn Whiteside led Spring Hill defensively with 13 digs. Bailey Bevolo added a team-high five blocks.
The Badgers finished with 32 kills, 30 assists, 47 digs and six blocks in the match.

Southwest Minnesota State 3, Spring Hill 0

Spring Hill returned to action Friday evening against No. 14 Southwest Minnesota State, which entered the match after also sweeping Wheeling earlier in the day. The Mustangs controlled the match from the outset, taking the opening set 25-10 before winning the second and third sets, 25-16 and 25-14.
The Badgers battled through the second and third sets, but Southwest Minnesota State's offensive efficiency proved difficult to overcome. The Mustangs hit .347 as a team, including a .405 mark in the third set.

Hayes once again paced the Spring Hill offense, finishing with seven kills. Hennessy added four kills, while Bevolo recorded three. Creech finished with eight assists, and Grace Cahill contributed four assists.

Whiteside led the Badgers with nine digs, while Ella Faliveno added seven and Thurman recorded six. Thurman and Reece Varden each finished with two blocks.
Spring Hill recorded 17 kills, 15 assists, 31 digs and four blocks in the match.

The Badgers finished their opening weekend 0-2 and will return to action next weekend at the UAH Invitational in Huntsville, Alabama. Spring Hill will face Mars Hill University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Friday, Sept. 4, before closing the weekend against Trevecca Nazarene and Harding on Saturday, Sept. 5.