Posted: Apr 10, 2024

Volleyball players return for Alumni Day

The Cowley College volleyball program conducted a successful Alumni Day on Saturday, April 6. The day started with the ring ceremony for the 2023 National Champion Cowley volleyball team and then moved to W.S. Scott Auditorium for the Alumni Match.

"Our Alumni Day was a great success," Cowley head coach Steven Gream said. "We would like to thank the alumni for their participation and the community for supporting this event. The Alumni Match was well-attended and provided a great competitive environment for all to enjoy. The day brought back tons of memories, stories of good times, and laughs that made its mark on the program and each player's lives."

The Alumni Match featured players from the 2005 and the 2013-2023 seasons. Teams were divided evenly, with Alumni and a few of the Cowley returners filling in position gaps. The match was a best three out of five that had each set being very competitive. The match was open to the public, with the admission being non-perishable goods that were donated to local charities or a donation to the program's locker room renovation fund.

"We wanted to have a great day for our Alumni, but we also wanted to use this day to give back to our community," Gream said. "We felt that collecting non-perishable items would be a good way to help with food pantries in the community. Also, our locker room is in need of renovation and this also helps us get closer to our goal."

Lana Da Silva Milner, a two-time All-American volleyball player for Cowley during the 2013 and 2014 seasons and now an assistant coach for the Lady Tigers, said Saturday was a day to remember.

"Saturday was such a special day. We had our ring ceremony in the morning and our Alumni Match in the afternoon. We had a great turnout with the community, boosters, and alums showing up for both events. The alumni and a lot of our current players had fun playing each other. We split the teams into two as evenly as possible, and we had a blast," Milner said. "It was nice to see the alums showing up to hang out with us and catch up with them on how they are doing. They will always be family. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger! Thanks to everyone who joined us and contributed to this event."