CASPER, Wyo. โ When it came down to it, Blinn College volleyball just stuck together and overcome a talented Miami Dade squad to win the Division I National Title with a 3-1 victory in Casper, Wyo.
โObviously this is an incredible moment but it didnโt come without itโs challenges,โ said Blinn head coach Erin Mellinger. โBut they got to push through and feel the way that they feel right now.โ
Rebecca Reeve supplied the championship clinching kill to seal the 3-1 victory by the score 33-31, 25-16, 20-25 and 25-18 at the Casper Events Center. The 2014 championship is the second consecutive championship for Blinn College and its third in four years while they finish the year with an astonishing 40-1 record.
Reeve not only delivered the championship-winning kill but was named the most valuable player of the national tournament and she finished with 25 kills and a .388 hitting percentage and 10 digs.
โIt really is a once in a lifetime opportunity and for us to get it back to back is unreal,โ Reeve said following the match. โI am never going to forget this moment and thatโs for sure.โ
Alyssa LaMont and Abolanle Onipede were both named to the all-tournament team for their efforts. Onipede had six kills in the championship match and LaMont turned in an impressive effort on defense with 16 digs in the win.
Trinity Alualu and Tawnee Luafalemana each had 11 kills as a combined force at the net while Rachel Sharp finished with nine kills.
The first set was a classic of a set although it look as if Blinn would make it look easy as it jumped out to a 13-7 lead with a kill from Jordyn Keamo, who had 52 assists in the match. Miami Dade didnโt go away quietly as it charged back to take a 25-24 lead.
The first set went into extra points with the back and forth play of both teams but it was Blinn coming up with two consecutive points as a kill from Reeve helped to clinch the first 33-31.
The Buccaneers controlled the second set as it jumped out to an 11-4 lead with back to back blocks from Luafalemana. Blinn went on to grab a 2-0 lead after a block from Onipede to win the second 25-16.
The third set was a forgettable one for Blinn as Miami Dade won 25-20 to force a fourth set. It was a lot of back and forth in the fourth set but Blinn was able to grab a slim 15-10 lead after a block from Onipede.
Miami Dade put up a fight in the fourth but it was Blinn College coming up with the big points in the end. Reeve came up with the biggest point with the championship-winning kill to win the fourth 25-18 and win 3-1.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 30 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
