Berkeley,CA - Cardinal Newman opened the 2026 girls volleyball season with a challenging road test, falling in four sets to St. Mary's College High School in Berkeley.

The Cardinals dropped the match 16-25, 20-25, 25-20, 16-25 against a St. Mary's program coming off an NCS Division IV championship season.

Despite the loss, head coach Daryl Kapis saw plenty of encouraging signs from a Cardinal Newman team that entered the opener with just three practices under its belt.

Returning outside hitter Emma Donnelly led the attack with 12 kills and added three blocks, while freshman Kensi Grover made an immediate impact in her high school debut. Grover finished with 12 kills, three aces and six digs.

Sofiyah Martinez added six kills while hitting an impressive .417, and Addison Smith directed the Cardinals' offense with 25 assists while contributing seven digs.

After dropping the opening two sets, Newman responded in the third. The Cardinals put together their best stretch of the night to take the set 25-20 and force a fourth before St. Mary's closed out the match with a 25-16 victory.

"St. Mary's was solid, but so were we," Kapis said. "Going to be a great year."

For Newman, the opener was an early measuring stick for a team replacing a talented group of seniors from last season's squad.

"We played a solid first competitive match against the NCS Division IV champion," Kapis said. "Lots of positives coming out of this match, and after three practices, to play at this level was impressive. Looking forward to getting back in the gym tomorrow."

The season opener provided an encouraging first look at both Newman's returning talent and its promising newcomers. With Donnelly helping lead the returning group, Grover making an immediate contribution, Martinez providing efficiency at the net and Smith running the offense, the Cardinals have plenty to build on as the 2026 season gets underway.

Newman plays at home on Thursday vs Vintage of Napa: JV at 4:30, Varsity at 6:00 PM