HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The
Spring Hill College women's volleyball team picked up its first win of the 2026 season Saturday at the UAH Invitational, finishing the four-match tournament with a 1-3 record at SportsMED Arena in Spragins Hall.
The Badgers opened the tournament Friday with a pair of four-set setbacks, falling to Mars Hill University, 3-1, before dropping a 3-1 decision to host Alabama Huntsville later that afternoon. Spring Hill bounced back Saturday morning, earning a 3-1 victory over Trevecca Nazarene University for its first win of the season before closing the tournament with a 3-0 loss to Harding University.
Against Mars Hill, Spring Hill battled throughout the opening match, taking the third set, 25-18, after dropping the first two sets 25-21 and 27-25. The Badgers then pushed the fourth set to 26-24 before the Lions closed out the match.
Samaya Hennessy led Spring Hill with 26 kills, marking the most kills by a Badger in a single match since Megan Haber recorded 27 against Loyola University New Orleans on Sept. 18, 2012. Hennessy also added three blocks, while
Claire Hayes contributed 19 kills and three blocks.
Cassie Creech directed the offense with 44 assists and added 15 digs, while
Quinn Thurman recorded a team-high 16 digs. The Badgers finished with 66 kills to Mars Hill's 56 and held advantages in aces, 7-2, and digs, 73-65.
Spring Hill returned to the court Friday afternoon against UAH, taking the opening set, 25-19, before the Chargers rallied to win the next three sets, 26-24, 25-14 and 25-20.
Hennessy again led the Badgers offensively with 15 kills, while Hayes finished with 13 kills and three blocks. Hennessy added five blocks and two aces, while Thurman posted 23 digs. Creech contributed 30 assists and 11 digs as Spring Hill finished the match with 41 kills and 67 digs.
The Badgers finally broke through Saturday morning against Trevecca Nazarene, claiming a 3-1 victory by set scores of 25-17, 21-25, 25-20 and 25-21.
Spring Hill controlled the match offensively, recording 52 kills, compared to 41 for Trevecca, while hitting .146 as a team. Hayes paced the Badgers with 18 kills, followed by Hennessy's 15 and
Reece Varden's seven. Bailey Bevelo anchored the blocking effort with five blocks, while Creech posted 29 assists. Thurman led the defensive effort with 17 digs and
Ashlyn Whiteside added 14.
The win marked Spring Hill's first of the season and moved the Badgers to 1-4 on the year.
Spring Hill closed the tournament Saturday afternoon against Harding, falling 25-19, 25-17 and 25-17. Hayes led the Badgers with nine kills, while
Colleen Engstler added four. Creech finished with 12 assists, and Thurman recorded 10 digs.
The Badgers now turn their attention to the West Florida Challenge, where they will face the University of Tampa on Friday, Sept. 11, in Pensacola, Florida.
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ABOUT THE SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (SIAC)
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions (Albany State University, Allen University, Benedict College, Central State University, Clark Atlanta University, Edward Waters University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spring Hill College, and Tuskegee University), which are located within a contiguous seven-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio). The SIAC sponsors nine men's and eight women's sports and is a proud member of the NCAA Division II. For more information, visit
www.thesiac.com.