In a match that was full of emotion of a final home farewell, the Savage Storm volleyball team played its way to a grueling five-set victory (25-23, 25-23, 18-25, 24-26, 15-10) over the fierce Crimson Storm on Thursday night in Bloomer Sullivan Arena. Senior Alaina Armstrong put a firm stamp on the night, smashing the final, decisive kill that sealed the 3-2 win and provided a picture-perfect ending for the 2026 graduating class.

The emotional Senior Night contest turned into a test of nerve after the Savage Storm tightly won the first two sets (25-23, 25-23). The Crimson Storm refused to fold, finding their defensive rhythm and taking the third (18-25) and a hard-fought fourth set (24-26) to push the match to a decisive fifth.

In the winner-take-all fifth set, the Savage Storm overcame a slow start, leveraging a late attack fueled by Senior Noey’s crucial kills. The defense came through when it mattered, with Freshman Jasmin Dion securing a massive block that paved the way for Armstrong’s final, match-clinching kill, sealing the emotional 15-10 set victory.

The victory was anchored by offensive balance, with Maci Morrison (16 kills) leading the attack, followed by Armstrong (15 kills) and Alexis Williams (15 kills). Freshman Dion delivered a massive 49 assists while Merrick Hammel anchored the back row with 24 digs.

Graduate Assistant Tatum Torres credited the team’s courage.

“Especially in the fourth set, they knew they had to push through the wall no matter what,” Torres said. “They weren’t going to let anything go past them, and that’s what they did. They continued to fight and push through to the end.”

The thrilling win gives the seniors a winning farewell from Bloomer Sullivan Arena as the Savage Storm wraps up the year.