BLINN VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS COASTAL BEND ON SOPHOMORES NIGHT
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
The ninth-ranked Blinn College volleyball team wrapped up the regular season with a Region 14 sweep of Coastal Bend on Thursday at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers earned a 25-16, 25-17, 25-13 victory over the Cougars on Sophomores Night for their third consecutive victory.
Blinn (36-2, 12-2 Region 14) was able to empty its bench on a night it celebrated 10 sophomores, including six second-year Bucs.
Sophomore hitters Olivia Stringer, Kaliko Schilling, Shiloh Jones, and Chloe Cavalier; sophomore middle blockers Jana Cetkovic, Karolina Karabasz, and Lillie Thibodeaux; sophomore setters Leah Hoss, Camden Bizot; and sophomore libero Aly Frias will graduate after the season.
“It was good to get everybody in and to honor the players who are finishing their Blinn careers this year,” Blinn head coach Gregg Whitis said. “Everybody got a chance to do some good things tonight.”
The Bucs completed a season sweep of Coastal Bend and put the finishing touches on the second seed for the upcoming Region 14 Tournament, which Blinn will host.
Stringer paced the Bucs with 10 kills and seven digs against the Cougars. Schilling added eight kills and Cetkovic tacked on seven.
Hoss handed out 22 set assists, followed by 10 for Bizot.
Schilling delivered a robust six service aces, while Hoss tallied a pair.
Schilling followed Stringer with five digs.
At the net, freshman middle blocker Haley Fojtik had two block assists, while Jones and Cetkovic had one solo block apiece.
The Bucs will play the waiting game as they prepare to open play in the region tournament in the semifinal round. Blinn will face either third-seeded Tyler Junior College, fifth-seeded Navarro College, or eighth-seeded Coastal Bend in the semis.
The three-day tournament begins Friday, Nov. 7. Blinn will play its first match Nov. 8.
“We’ve had as good a season as we could have hoped for,” Whitis said. “Now, we need to have a great week of practice and be ready to tangle with somebody in the semifinal round who we’re familiar with and who we’ve had success against. We need to be ready to play our best volleyball of the season.”