Third-ranked Blinn downed 14th-ranked Panola 3-0 to extend its winning streak to 20 straight matches. The Bucs are now alone in the conference race at 5-0.
Blinn has won its last 16 matches without losing a game. The Bucs are the only team with 20 wins in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s national poll.
Blinn won 25-21, 25-12, 25-15.
“Tonight was a team effort,” head coach Terry Gamble said. “I thought we played really good defense. We played really good against a really good team. I’m proud of the girls.”
Lina Ellila, a freshman setter from Helsinki, Finland, had 33 assists in the match to lead Blinn.
“I thought it was one of the best matches that Lina set,” Gamble said.
Jayde Van Zandt, who is ranked third in the country in total kills with 262 in 21 matches, had 16 against Panola. Guilia Hortelan added nine and Chard’e Van Zandt eight.
Ellila, Hortelan and Kyndal Coufal each had six digs for Blinn.
Blinn’s Reagan Casey, second in the nation with a .421 kill percentage, hit .600 against Panola. She had six kills in 10 attempts.
The Bucs host conference opponent Coastal Bend College on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Kruse Center. Coastal Bend is 0-4 in conference and 7-9 for the season.
