Thirteenth-ranked Blinn College volleyball left Gainesville, Texas, with a perfect 4-0 mark after securing two more wins Saturday at the North Central Texas Tournament.
The Buccaneers picked up two wins on each day of the two-day tournament, capped by triumphs over No. 16 Hillsborough Community College and Western Texas College.
“The girls played really well today,” Blinn head coach Terry Gamble said. “I thought our defense was really good and I thought our blocking was better.”
The Bucs improved to 13-2 overall.
Against Hillsborough, Blinn secured its third victory of the season over a ranked opponent with a 25-16, 18-25, 25-18, 25-14 win.
A well-rounded attack led by sophomore right-side hitter and NJCAA Division I kills leader helped the Bucs overcome the Hawks. Dorotik tallied 15 kills, while freshman outside hitters MaKenna Loo and Greta Rakow chipped in 14 and 11, respectively. Freshman setter Leah Hoss continued her recent emergence with a team-best 20 set assists. Fellow freshman setter Bromli Watson made her mark in the middle of the offense with 16.
The Bucs knocked down eight service aces, including two apiece for Rakow, sophomore libero Cierra Pesak, and freshman middle blocker Jana Cetkovic.
Freshman libero Sophie Ilagan spearheaded an impressive defensive effort for Blinn as she led her team with 20 digs. Pesak tacked on 13 digs, Loo added 11, and Hoss posted nine.
The Bucs’ net defense produced a pair of solo blocks – one each for Loo and Dorotik – as well as block assists for Loo, Rakow, Cetkovic, and freshman middle blocker Karolina Karabasz.
In Blinn’s final match of the tournament, they cruised past Western Texas 25-8, 25-11, 25-14.
Dorotik had a season-high 26 kills to lift the Bucs, giving her 256 on the season. Loo finished with eight kills.
Hoss moved the ball around to the tune of 24 set assists and Watson dished out 11. Hoss also served up three of the Bucs’ 10 aces.
Defensively, Hoss and sophomore libero Kirby Kliafas had 10 digs apiece, while Ilagan and Loo picked up nine and eight, respectively.
Cetkovic and Watson each had a solo block, while Cetkovic and Dorotik each added an assist.
Blinn will take a break from tournament play to resume its run in Region XIV. The Bucs host Panola College at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, inside the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 national championships since 1987.
