ACEVEDO TRENT ERA OFFICIALLY BEGINS FOR BLUE DRAGON VOLLEYBALL THIS WEEKEND
By Steve Carpenter
Blue Dragon Sports Information Director
Here is a list of what first-year Hutchinson Community College head volleyball coach Dayana Acevedo Trent has learned about her new team in the first three weeks of the 2025 season:
+ The Blue Dragons are hungry;
+ The Blue Dragons have the potential to be very offensive;
+ There is a lot of talent and potential, but it's going to be a work in progress.
BLUE DRAGON VOLLEYBALL
Hutchinson at Iowa Western Reiver Classic
2025 Season Opener
When: Friday-Saturday August 22-23
Where: Reiver Gym, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Blue Dragon Schedule
Friday, August 21
2 p.m. – Salt Lake CC
6 p.m. – Iowa Western CC
Saturday, August 22
1 p.m. – No. 19 Western Nebraska
Live Video: All Matches Streamed on Reiver Sports Network
X: @bluedragonsport
Since being hired in mid-January, Acevedo Trent has had the dates August 22 and 23 circled on her calendar. That's opening weekend for Hutchinson Volleyball and first tests for Acevedo Trent's first Blue Dragon team.
The program's 14th head coach, Acevedo Trent and the Blue Dragons open the new era of Blue Dragon volleyball with three matches at the Iowa Western Reiver Classic in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Hutchinson will play Salt Lake at 2 p.m. and Iowa Western at 6 p.m. on Friday and close the weekend with No. 19 Western Nebraska at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Reiver Gym.
"I think we did really well during the preseason and we covered everything that we needed two in the preseason, but there is always room for improvement," said Acevedo Trent, who is 98-29 in four seasons at Odessa College, where she led the Wranglers to national tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024.
Hutchinson was picked to finish fifth in the preseason KJCCC Coaches' Poll.
Acevedo Trent takes over a Blue Dragon program that suffered a losing season in 2024, going 19-21 – the program's first sub-.500 campaign since 2010. From that team, four players – Atlyn Proctor, Priscilla Raschen, Kierny Follmer and Angela Reupena – return to the program.
The Blue Dragons add five transfers into the mix – Lauren Vazquez, Alondra Villanueva and Alexandra Garcia from Odessa, Jaylynn McNeill from the University of Louisiana and Nathalia Ferreira from Miami-Dade College. The Blue Dragons have seven true freshmen on the opening-day roster.
"I think that we have a lot of weapons at the net, both on the pins and in the middle," Acevedo Trent said. "They are making my job hard to pick what lineup is going to be out there. I think we are going to be a really good serving team and we are going to be very aggressive at the line. I think we are going to be a very good passing team in the end because we are facing tough competition every day."
The 2025 Blue Dragons won't be short on collegiate experience as Acevedo Trent begins to build up a program that has 10 Region 6 Championships, but hasn't been back to the NJCAA National Tournament since 2017.
The Blue Dragons return their top hitter from last season in Proctor (a 6-foot outside hitter from Nelson, British Columbia, Canada). She hit .185 and averaged 2.86 kills per set. She had 20 matches with 10 or more kills, including three of 20 or more with a career-high 22 against Vincennes University.
"Atlyn has all the bones to be a great attacker," Acevedo Trent said. "She is just now learning to use her abilities to the best. She has grown up a lot. Before, she was just "see ball, attack ball." Now she is becoming more consistent with several different shots and she's become a better blocker, passer and server."
Raschen, a 5-10 pin hitter from Independence, returns after limited duty as a freshman. Playing 25 sets in 18 matches, Raschen hit 0.53 with 0.68 kills per set. Follmer is a 5-10 middle from Chanute. She played in 88 sets in 32 matches last season and hit .142 on 1.11 kills per set. Follmer averaged 0.51 blocks. Used more as a serving specialist last season, Reupena (5'8 sophomore from Christchurch, Australia) will be one of the Dragons' two primary setters this season.
"From the day I got here, I noticed how Angela commands. When you are a setter, you have to be confident enough to run an offense. Angela definitely has that."
Two players on the 2025 Blue Dragon roster have national tournament experience.
Outside hitter Alondra Villanueva came with Acevedo Trent from Odessa. The 6-1 sophomore from Lima, Peru, hit .142 and averaged 2.36 kills per set and 0.64 digs per set in 28 matches. Villanueva also played on Peru's national volleyball team.
Nathalia Ferreira, a 6-1 middle from Brasilia, Brazil, played at Miami-Dade last season. She averaged 1.13 kills per set in 16 matches with the Sharks.
University of Louisiana transfer Jaylynn McNeill is expected to improve the production from the right side. In 21 matches (73 sets) with the Ragin' Cajuns last season, McNeill hit .176 with 1.03 kills and 0.73 blocks per set.
"Jaylynn has a great block and she's very aggressive. She is a presence at the net," Acevedo Trent said. "We have a lot of girls who have played at a high level. We have players who played in the national tournament, so they know what it takes.
"Now it's about finding the right pieces and put them together. By the end of this season, it's going to be very exciting."
Another Odessa transfer, Alexandra Garcia (a 5'11 freshman from Lima, Peru) will work as the other primary setter. Garcia has also played at the national level in Peru.
Freshman or first-year players who will contribute are outside hitter Lauren, Vazquez (5'8, Andrews, Texas), Hutchinson Trinity Catholic middle Mattie Galliher (6-0, Hutchinson), middle blocker Daniela Pedroza (5'11, Naples, Florida) and middle blocker Ty'Lia Davis (5'11, Baton Rouge, Louisiana).
The battle for back-row playing time will be battled for by Clara Oliveira (5'2, Matonsinhos, Portugal), McKenzye Williamson (5'4, Amarillo, Texas), Sorielys Dominquez (5'3, Rio Grande Puerto Rico) and Addison Shepherd (5'3, Gardner, Kansas).
"I'm excited to see how we are going to line up this season," Acevedo Trent said. "I'm excited. The girls are excited and we are hungry, so we are ready to see what the weekend will bring."
After tournaments this weekend in Council Bluffs and McCook, Nebraska on August 29-30, the Blue Dragons will open at home on September 3 against the Barton Cougars at the Sports Arena.