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For more than 20 years, Alverno Athletics has been a key part of the college recruitment equation. Adding new sports helps increase the appeal, and the coaches, under the leadership of Athletic Director Katari Key, have raised the bar for recruitment.

Those efforts are paying off. This fall, Key and her team scored a slam dunk by bringing in the largest incoming class of athletes since 2015. The 39 new studentathletes bring the total roster up to 72, and they hail from 18 different states and one Canadian province. Of those 39 new student-athletes, 34 are from out of state, second only to 2020’s 41 out-of-state athletes. Some of the students come from nearby states like Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota, while others come from as far away as Maine, Georgia, Texas, Oregon and Hawaii.

Key says one of the reasons for their success is that she and the coaches are intentional about recruitment goals.

Perhaps the biggest part of the equation are the student-athletes themselves. Golfer Avery Maxwell, who’s from Des Moines, Iowa, says she always saw herself going out of state for college.

“Alverno allowed me to branch out, but I am still close enough to home that I don’t feel completely disconnected,’’ she says.

“Alverno offers such an amazing program and really has allowed me to be myself within my sport and grow more than I ever thought I would.”

Maxwell, who’s majoring in business and management, says being involved in athletics helps her feel connected to campus. “I love knowing that I could come back to Alverno in 10 years and be met with the same kindness I was since day one.”