SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Texas A&M International University volleyball opened the 2026 season with a 2-2 showing at the Drury Invitational, picking up victories over Newman and Minot State during the two-day tournament at the O'Reilly Family Event Center.
The Dustdevils opened tournament play Friday against Southern Nazarene before responding with a straight-set victory over Newman. TAMIU returned Saturday morning to outlast Minot State in a five-set battle before closing the weekend against tournament host Drury.
Southern Nazarene 3, TAMIU 0
TAMIU began the season with a 3-0 setback against Southern Nazarene, falling 25-23, 25-15 and 25-18.
The Dustdevils battled throughout the opening set, but the Crimson Storm pulled out the two-point victory before carrying the momentum through the final two frames.
Mia Molina led the TAMIU attack with 14 kills and added seven digs and two service aces. Soniyah King provided an efficient performance at the net with four kills on five attempts for an .800 hitting percentage, while Sierra Sanchez finished with five kills on a .308 clip. Guilia Gainelli directed the offense with 28 assists and added a team-high 11 digs.
TAMIU finished the match with 35 kills and a .193 hitting percentage, including its best offensive set in the third when the Dustdevils hit .321.
TAMIU 3, Newman 0
The Dustdevils bounced back later Friday with a dominant straight-set victory over Newman, winning 26-24, 25-18 and 25-17 to earn their first victory of the season.
After grinding out a two-point win in the opening set, TAMIU took control of the match and hit .308 as a team while holding Newman to a .115 hitting percentage. The Dustdevils recorded 47 kills compared to 25 for the Jets.
Molina once again paced the offense with 15 kills, while Ece Özdemir turned in an all-around performance with 11 kills, 15 digs and an ace. Andrea Nunez added 10 kills while hitting .389.
Gainelli distributed 39 assists to go along with eight digs and two aces, while Fernanda Izar contributed four kills on five attacks and was involved in four blocks.
TAMIU 3, Minot State 2
TAMIU opened Saturday with its most dramatic victory of the weekend, defeating Minot State in five sets, 23-25, 25-12, 25-21, 19-25 and 16-14.
After dropping the opening set, the Dustdevils responded emphatically with a 25-12 second-set victory and followed with a 25-21 win in the third. Minot State forced a deciding fifth set before TAMIU prevailed 16-14.
The decisive frame featured 10 ties and three lead changes as the teams battled past the traditional 15-point mark.
Nunez led a balanced TAMIU attack with 19 kills on a .368 hitting percentage and added three block assists. Molina recorded a double-double with 17 kills and 17 digs, while Ozdemir supplied 15 kills, five service aces, nine digs and four total blocks.
Gainelli orchestrated the offense with 52 assists and 11 digs, while Mia Perez and Sanchez each collected 13 digs. Brianna Espinoza added 10 digs and three service aces.
The Dustdevils finished with tournament highs of 62 kills and 83 digs while hitting .237 and holding Minot State to a .156 attacking percentage.
Drury 3, TAMIU 0
TAMIU closed the tournament Saturday afternoon against host Drury, falling in three sets, 25-23, 25-15 and 25-21.
The Dustdevils battled the Panthers in a tightly contested opening frame that featured 10 ties and four lead changes before Drury edged TAMIU, 25-23. TAMIU continued to push in the third, but the Panthers completed the sweep with a 25-21 victory.
Nunez and Sanchez led TAMIU with eight kills apiece, with Sanchez hitting .280. Molina finished with six kills, nine digs and two service aces, while Özdemir added six kills, eight digs and two aces.
Gainelli recorded 21 assists and 11 digs, while Deanna Montgomery contributed eight assists and four digs off the bench.
TAMIU finished opening weekend with a 2-2 overall record, earning back-to-back victories over Newman and Minot State before concluding play at the Drury Invitational.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Mia Molina earns TAMIU Player of the Tournament honors after a strong opening weekend at the Drury Invitational.
Molina totaled 52 kills and 41 digs across four matches, reaching double-digit kills in each of TAMIU's first three contests. She opened the season with 14 kills against Southern Nazarene before recording 15 kills in the Dustdevils' sweep of Newman.
Her biggest all-around performance came in TAMIU's five-set victory over Minot State, where Molina recorded a 17-kill, 17-dig double-double to help the Dustdevils secure the 16-14 fifth-set victory. She closed the tournament with six kills, nine digs, two service aces and a solo block against host Drury. Molina's consistent production on both sides of the ball helped TAMIU leave Springfield with a 2-2 record to begin the 2026 season.
Mia Molina is a senior outside hitter for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. A native of Laredo, TX, Mia is the daughter of Rolando and Maricela Molina and was born on April 12, 2005.
