Twelfth-ranked Blinn College volleyball opened its Region XIV slate with a four-set victory over Tyler Junior College on Tuesday in Tyler, Texas.
The surging Buccaneers earned an 18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 victory for their eighth consecutive win of the season. Blinn is now 9-1 overall.
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman Kellen Dorotik)
“It was a good road win against a good team,” sixth-year head coach Terry Gamble said. “I thought the girls played hard. Kellen Dorotik and Kaylen Kruse played well along with our middle blockers.”
Four Bucs sheeted double-digit kills, led by 12 for the freshman right-side hitter Dorotik. Sophomore outside hitter Jaedyn Newman followed with 11 kills and sophomores Brooke Pattschull (middle blocker) and Lexi Higgins (outside hitter) finished with 10 apiece. Freshman setter Chloe Howard distributed 20 assists. At the service line, Kruse – a sophomore libero/outside hitter – served up a pair of aces, as did sophomore middle blocker Taylor Glendening and freshman outside hitter/libero Kirby Kliafas.
On defense, freshman libero Cierra Pesak tallied a team-high 20 digs, freshman libero Emma Whitsel added 11, Kliafas chipped in 10, and Kruse finished with nine. Howard added three block assists at the net.
Up next, Blinn will host its first home match of the season when it battles Region XIV foe Coastal Bend College at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 44 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
