BETHANY, Okla. — Southwestern Christian University volleyball opened the 2026 season with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Randall University on Monday night at Pickens-Springer Gym, giving first-year head coach Faith Rethmier her first victory at the helm of the Eagles.
SCU took control from the opening set, defeating Randall 25-19, 25-14 and 25-14 to begin the season 1-0. The Eagles steadily increased their offensive efficiency throughout the match, finishing with 30 kills on 99 attacks for a .192 hitting percentage. Randall struggled offensively, finishing with a -.009 hitting percentage.
Emery Hulme, a returning Eagle, led the way offensively for SCU with a match-high 14 kills. Hulme was highly efficient at the net, hitting .448 with just one attack error on 29 attempts. She also recorded three service aces and nine digs to finish with a team-high 17 points.
Angeles Betancourt added five kills while hitting .231, while Madi Pfeil and Sara Castrillon each contributed four kills. Castrillon also made an impact from the service line, recording a team-high four aces, while adding two block assists and 10 total points.
SCU also received strong contributions from its setters. Emma Hall recorded 14 assists and Ava Burns added 10 as the Eagles finished the match with 26 assists as a team. Burns also recorded three service aces.
Defensively, Ana Turone led the Eagles with 12 digs, while Hulme added nine and Betancourt and Pfeil each contributed five. SCU finished with 50 team digs and also recorded 10 block assists.
The Eagles continued to build momentum as the match progressed. SCU hit .093 in the opening set before improving to .206 in the second and an impressive .364 in the third. The Eagles also held a significant advantage at the service line, recording 11 aces compared to just one for Randall.
The victory marks the first win of Rethmier's tenure as head coach and gives Southwestern Christian an early 1-0 record to begin the 2026 campaign. Randall falls to 0-1 following the loss. The match was played in front of an announced crowd of 300 at Pickens-Springer Gym.
With a strong opening-night performance from both its returning players and newcomers, SCU will look to carry the momentum from Monday night's sweep into its upcoming matches.
