hats. Sometimes she’s the caring mother, other
times the disciplinarian or the competitor.
“She has so many facets to her personality,
and she knows when to bring them out,” said
Purichia, who won her 500th high school game
this season. “She’s the exact kind of leader this
young team has needed.”
While Marissa has been the star for the Pioneers
the last couple of years, her sister Ali has now
earned some of the spotlight. As of Sept. 13, Ali
was second on the team behind Marissa with 176
kills – Marissa had 204 – while also racking up 178
digs and 11 service aces.
“Her athleticism is crazy,” Marissa said of her
sister.
Ali’s progress on the varsity level and on the club
circuit has already garnered her plenty of college
interest. The University of Louisville, University of
Kentucky, Indiana University and Purdue have all
expressed interest, and Ali is even getting some
notice from the University of Florida, one of the
NCAA Division 1 premier volleyball teams, and
one that successfully recruited former Sacred
Heart star Paige Hammons.
“I’m really honored,” Ali said of the attention
she’s receiving. “It makes me feel more confident
if I have a bad day. It just makes me feel more
comfortable with my abilities.”
One interesting aspect of the Hornung siblings
is that while they’re so much alike, from looks to
the fact that they will all wear the No. 12 at some
point during their high school career, they also
have different personalities.
Jacquie, now a sophomore outside hitter at
Bellarmine, is more structured and serious, Marissa
said, admitting she herself is more goofy and open
to keeping things light in the locker room. Ali
though, may be the fiercest competitor of the three.
“Ali is a tremendous athlete and very talented
volleyball player,” Purichia said. “Ali lacks a little bit
of confidence at times because she’s an extreme
perfectionist, she wants to be perfect at everything
and she gets rattled sometimes when she’s not
perfect.
“This year has been really good for her because
there’s so many people on this team that can be
effective that the pressure isn’t really on her, so she
doesn’t have to be the one to put the ball down.”
Keeping the pressure off Ali should pay
dividends for the Pioneers as they prepare for a
deep playoff run, with Marissa leading and the
pair dominating on the court.
Marissa Hornung
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