The ninth-ranked Blinn College volleyball team picked up a sweep of Wharton County Junior College on Thursday and witnessed a bit of history along the way.
Following a decisive 25-13, 25-13, 25-14 Region XIV road victory over the Pioneers in Wharton, Texas, the Buccaneers celebrated a career achievement for sophomore Kellen Dorotik.
Dorotik, a right-side hitter from East Bernard, Texas, notched a team-high 15 kills for Blinn and not only boosted her NJCAA Division I-leading total to 504 for the season, but also pushed her career total to 1,025. Dorotik’s historic night made her the Bucs’ all-time leader in kills, as she surpassed the previous record of 1,011 held by Lisa Smith (1999-2000).
“It feels a little weird and it’s a little surreal because I think as a volleyball player you are never really thinking about these types of achievements,” Dorotik said, “you just focus on playing the game. It’s a great feeling to know I’ll leave Blinn among some of the best hitters to play here; it’s a huge honor. At the same time, it’s also important to state that I didn’t get to this point on my own and I owe a lot to my teammates.”
Bucs head coach Terry Gamble has not been shy about where Dorotik sits on his list of athletes he’s had the privilege to coach, previously tabbing the 2023 NJCAA second-team all-American as one of his best ever.
Dorotik’s most recent accolade further cemented those sentiments.
“Tonight was a compliment to how hard Kellen works on and off the court,” Gamble said. “It’s great when your players succeed, but it’s even more enjoyable when they are special young ladies with great character off the court. Kellen is a great volleyball player and a fantastic young woman.”
(Pictured: Blinn’s Kellen Dorotik prepares to spike the ball during a match against Tyler Junior College on Oct. 1, 2024)
Dorotik said the momentous occasion would not have been complete without a victory, and the rest of the Buccaneers apparently agreed.
Blinn (30-2, 8-0 Region XIV) pushed its winning streak to 23 matches while finishing a two-game season sweep of Wharton County.
The Bucs cruised behind the efforts of Dorotik, but also got a big night from freshman outside hitter MaKenna Loo (10 kills) and a sturdy effort from freshman outside hitter Greta Rakow (six kills).
In the middle of the Blinn offense were freshman setters Leah Hoss and Bromli Watson, who handed out 17 and 16 assists, respectively.
At the service line, the Bucs knocked down 12 aces, led by three apiece for Hoss and Rakow.
Defensively, sophomore libero Cierra Pesak covered the floor with a team-best 13 digs, with Dorotik chipping in 10 behind her.
Gamble commended his team’s defensive effort at the net as the Bucs racked up 14 block assists to go with one solo block. Dorotik had five to pace Blinn while freshman middle blockers Jana Cetkovic and Karolina Karabasz added four and three, respectively.
“Wharton County is always a tough opponent to face on the road because they always bring a good atmosphere with a good, noisy crowd,” Gamble explained. “We found a way to have a nice match anyway with some good blocking, some really good ball control, and I thought our middle blockers did a nice job offensively along with our hitters. Now, we’ll get ready for Lee (College) on Tuesday.”
The Bucs host Lee for a 6 p.m. Region XIV tilt on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
