NO. 15 WARRIORS BATTLE ON FINAL DAY IN TEXAS
August 29, 2026
Brenham, TX – No. 15 Indian Hills Volleyball put together an impressive showing on the final day of the Kruse Kickoff Classic in Brenham, TX on Saturday, splitting a pair of matches. The Warriors dropped a five-set thriller to No. 2 nationally ranked Florida SouthWestern State College before sweeping Panola College (TX) in the finale.
The Warriors move to 5-4 overall on the year after a 2-2 weekend at the Kruse Kickoff Classic. Indian Hills took an early 2-0 lead vs. Florida SouthWestern State, the 2025 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Volleyball national runners-up, before falling in a back-and-forth fifth set tiebreaker. The Warriors closed out the day by handing Panola (6-1) its first defeat of the year with straight set scores of 25-15, 25-21, and 25-17.
Indian Hills saw another strong showing on the road this weekend, holding its own vs. nationally ranked foes. The Warriors’ four losses this season have been against four top-20 ranked opponents with a combined record of 23-7 on the year.
Saturday’s opener against Florida SouthWestern State, the first all-time meeting between the two clubs, saw Indian Hills take a commanding two set lead, winning the opening frames 25-19 and 26-24. The Buccaneers stormed back with a tight 25-23 victory in the third before forcing a fifth set with a 25-15 victory.
Indian Hills jumped out to an early lead in the decisive set, but Florida SouthWestern State prevailed down the stretch to hold off the Warriors’ upset bid.
Freshman Elsa Dermis Cuevas Perez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Matias Ramon Mella) put together her best showing of the early season, tallying 10 kills on 21 attempts to go along with a pair of blocks. Alisha Perez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/IMG Academy) added nine kills and five block assists while Jovi Evans (Kalona, IA/Mid-Prairie) tacked on eight kills and 10 digs for the Warriors.
Freshman setter Sofia Silveira (Lisbon, Portugal/António Damásio) controlled the tempo of the offense with 25 assists while sophomore Ana Silva (Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil/Major Aviador José Mariotto) recorded 18 helpers on the offensive front.
Kanade Yamigishi (Osaka, Japan/Kochi Chuo) starred on defense from the libero position for the Warriors, picking up a team-high 22 digs to go along with three service aces while sophomore Maria Victoria De Mendonca (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil/Colegio Pinheiro Guimaraes) added 15 digs for the Warriors.
Caroline Le Mao (Douarnenez, France/ESG) continued an impressive start to the year for Indian Hills at the net, boasting eight total blocks, including five solo stops. Collectively, the Warriors totaled a season-high 23 total blocks, including seven solo blocks.
In the nightcap vs. Panola, Indian Hills cruised to the straight-set victory behind a strong offensive showing. As a team, the Warriors posted a .319 hitting percentage as Perez led the way with 12 kills on 22 attempts. Evans added 10 finishers from the outside.
Silveira and Silva teamed up to tally 17 assists apiece for the Warriors.
The Warriors will now turn their attention to the Blue Dragon Classic in Hutchinson, KS September 3-4.
