The Buccaneers (24-1), third in the nation in this week’s NJCAA Division 1 volleyball poll, beat 11th-ranked Indian Hills Community College and 12th-ranked Missouri State University-West Plains to extend their win streak to 23 straight matches.
“I’m very proud of the team getting two wins today against two very good teams,” said head coach Terry Gamble. “This is a really good tournament with all four teams being ranked in the top 12 in the country.”
Blinn overpowered Indian Hills 3-1 in Friday’s first match. Indian Hills won the first game 25-19, but Blinn stormed back to win the next three – 25-23, 25-9, 25-16. Blinn had won 16 consecutive 3-0 matches until Indian Hills took the opening set.
Blinn had four players with double-digit kills – Reagan Casey and Chard’e Van Zandt with 12 each, Jayde Shelton with 11, and Guilia Hortelan with 10. Lina Ellila led the Bucs with 49 assists and added three service aces.
Missouri State, ranked 12th in this week’s poll, pushed Blinn to a five-set match with the Bucs winning 25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 19-25, 15-12.
Shelton led Blinn with 20 kills in that match, followed closely by Van Zandt with 19. Casey added 11 kills. Ellila had 45 assists. Lixai Perez had 20 digs for Blinn and Emily Smajstria 12.
Blinn will next play eighth-ranked Tyler Junior College at noon on Saturday. That will wrap up the Bucs’ non-conference season, with their remaining 10 games all against conference opponents. Blinn will travel to Lee College on Tuesday and host Tyler Junior College on Thursday in the Kruse Center. Both games are at 6 p.m.
