HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal-LaGrange University women's volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a hard-fought five-set battle against Culver-Stockton College on Tuesday night, falling 3-2 to the Wildcats at the HLGU Mabee Sports Complex.

The Trojans and Wildcats traded momentum throughout the match, with Culver-Stockton ultimately earning the victory by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 25-13, and 15-5.

HLGU came out strong in the opening set, battling point-for-point before the Wildcats secured a narrow 25-23 win. The Trojans responded in the second set, using a balanced offensive attack and timely defensive plays to even the match with a 25-23 victory.

Hannibal-LaGrange continued its momentum in the third set, taking advantage of strong serving and offensive execution to claim a 25-21 win and move ahead 2-1 in the match.

Culver-Stockton answered in the fourth set, controlling the pace and forcing a decisive fifth set with a 25-13 victory. The Wildcats carried that momentum into the final frame, winning 15-5 to secure the match.

Summer Zelei led the Trojans offensively with 11 kills, while Jade Clay added 10 kills and a team-high two blocks. Sophia Wallace contributed eight kills as HLGU finished with 46 total kills in the match.

Junior Delaney Eggemeyer directed the Trojan offense with 37 assists, while Jena Jobb led the defensive effort with 19 digs. Jillian Millirons added 17 digs, and Brooke Rocca contributed three service aces and eight digs.

As a team, HLGU recorded 46 kills, 42 assists, four service aces, five blocks, and 80 digs.

Culver-Stockton was led by Victoria Pollard, who recorded a match-high 19 kills. The Wildcats finished with advantages in kills (52-46), blocks (12-5), and aces (7-4).

Despite the loss, the Trojans showed resilience throughout the match, battling back from deficits and pushing the Wildcats to the limit in the season opener.

HLGU will look to build on the strong opening performance as the Trojans continue their 2026 campaign.