The Buccaneers are now 33-1 overall and 14-0 in the region, and secured the region championship outright with the victory along with the No. 1 seed in the regional tournament.
“I’m really proud of the girls and what they have accomplished,” Blinn head coach Terry Gamble said. “But we still have a lot of work to do; we can still get better.”
The Buccaneers are also riding a32-game winning streak but needed a little extra effort in just their third non-sweep in their last nine matches.
“I thought the girls played really well tonight,” Gamble added. “Especially in sets one and two and the end of set four.
“We struggled a little in set three, but I want to give credit to Panola; they are a good team and played really hard tonight.”
The Fillies dropped to 23-4 overall and 12-3 in the region, where the sit second behind the Bucs.
Blinn was the beneficiary of four double-digit kill efforts, starting with 16 apiece from sophomores Jayde Shelton and Reagan Casey. Sophomores Charde Van Zandt and Ashley Taylor each had 12. Sophomore setter Savannah Sebek contributed 51 assists to the cause and added 10 digs. Taylor and fellow sophomore libero Lixai Perez had two service aces apiece while sophomore Kyndal Coufal added one.
Sophomore Guila Hortelan had a team-high 12 digs. Taylor had a solid defensive night with seven block assists, Shelton added three and Casey chipped in with a pair.
Blinn plays its third straight road match when it visits Coastal Bend for a region bout at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
About the Blinn College District
With innovative programs and award-winning co-enrollment partnerships, Blinn’s academic transfer rate ranks No. 1 among Texas community colleges. Courses are available online and at five Central Texas campuses, and students save 43% in tuition and fees compared to the average state university. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.
