Women's Volleyball Drops Home Heart Match to William Woods

Marshall, Mo., (Sept. 9, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College women's volleyball team hosted William Woods (Mo.) in a Heart of America Athletic Conference match Tuesday evening inside the Burns Athletic Complex.  The Vikings battled early, but fell by scores of 23-25, 25-17, 11-25, 20-25.

Missouri Valley jumped out to an early lead in the first game, winning the opening four points.  Sophomore Outside Hitter Olivia Randolph (Odessa, Mo.) landed two kills and Senior Middle Hitter Kinga Romanowicz (Krepiec, Poland) added one kill to make it a 4-0 score.  William Woods answered back, and eventually tied the teams at 7-7.  Freshman Outside Hitter Rylee Adams (Odessa, Mo.) added one kill, and MVC briefly went back in front, 9-7.  The Owls followed with four-straight points to move ahead, 11-9, and the teams traded points through the next stretch of play.  Adams came back with another kill, then Romanowicz finished off back-to-back aces as MVC won three-straight points to take an 18-17 lead.  Sophomore Right Side Harper Herring (Orange Park, Fla.) finished off two kills, followed by one kill from Adams and a block by Senior Outside Hitter Juliana Oliveira (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to keep the Viking on top, 23-22.  However, William Woods won the final three points to take the first game, 25-23.

The two teams traded points at the start of the second game, as Romanowicz and Oliveira put down one kill apiece early, and Adams followed with three kills to help push the team in front, 9-8.  Missouri Valley used one kill from Senior Middle Blocker Jisell Chumacero (Denver, Colo.) and two kills by Oliveira to make it a 13-11 game, but WWU won three-straight points to claim a 14-13 advantage.  The Vikings took control from there, winning the next six points.  Oliveira finished off three kills, while Sophomore Setter Kellen Fitzgerald (Frisco, Texas) landed an ace.  The stretch was capped by a block from Oliveira and Romanowicz to make it a 19-14 score.  Missouri Valley continued to pull away late in the game, as Randolph had two kills and Oliveira registered an ace to put the lead at 23-15.  Adams then sealed a 25-17 win the game with two final kills, and the match was tied at 1-1.

Game three featured an early run from the Owls, winning four-straight points to pull ahead, 7-4.  Romanowicz and Oliveira each had one kill, but MVC trailed, 9-7.  William Woods took control from there, winning 12 of the next 13 points, and holding a 21-8 lead.  Herring and Junior Right Side Alana Burton (Ogden, Iowa) teamed up on a block, and Adams had one kill, but WWU won the third game, 25-11.

Needing a win in the fourth game to extend the match, Missouri Valley fell into an early deficit, at 11-3.  Oliveira and Romanowicz teamed up on a block and three other WWU errors helped the Vikings cut the deficit to 12-7.  Then one kill from both Romanowicz and Adams eventually made it a 13-10 score.  Missouri Valley stayed close over the next stretch, as Herring had two kills, and both Randolph and Oliveira added one kill each as the team trailed, 18-15.  William Woods responded to win four-straight points and hold off MVC late.  The final game ended at 25-20 in favor of the Owls to end the match.

Oliveira led with a double-double of 11 kills and 18 digs, while Adams added a double-double of 11 kills and 12 digs.  Herring finished with 10 kills.  Fitzgerald totaled 18 assists and seven digs, and Senior Setter Avery Crain (Shell Knob, Mo.) had 16 assists and five digs.  Senior Libero Ana Franco (Cascais, Portugal) led with 20 digs.  Missouri Valley had six blocks and four aces as a team.

The loss drops Missouri Valley to 5-6 overall and 1-2 in the Heart.  William Woods improves to 9-2 on the season and 2-0 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking women's volleyball team hosts William Penn (Iowa) in a Heart match, Friday at 7 p.m., inside the Burns Athletic Complex.

Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.