BLINN VOLLEYBALL GOING BACK TO THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The Blinn College volleyball team is in the dance once again.

The ninth-ranked Buccaneers received the first of four at-large bids during the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship selection show Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive season Blinn will participate in the tournament. The Bucs will be making their 12th overall appearance.

The four-day, 16-team competition begins Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the Winfield Dunn Center on the campus of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn.

"The girls are excited and I'm proud of them," said head coach Gregg Whitis, who is in his first season with the Bucs. "This is a goal we've had all season and it's always nice when you're considered good enough to make the national tournament as an at-large team. We're thankful to the committee and for their respect for what our team has been able to accomplish."

Blinn (37-3) is the No. 9 seed in the bracket and will face off against seventh-ranked and eighth-seeded Odessa in the first round at 4 p.m. on Nov. 19. The Bucs and Wranglers met at Blinn's Kruse Kickoff Classic tournament on Aug. 30, a five-set match which saw the Bucs prevail 15-11 in the decisive set.

"We played a really good match against them on our home floor in the second week of the season, and I'm sure both teams have improved," Whitis said. "I'm looking forward to breaking down some of their tape and getting another look at them before the rematch."

Blinn's roster features five sophomores who played on its 2024 national tournament team. Setter Leah Hoss, middle blockers Jana Cetkovic, Karolina Karabasz, and Lillie Thibodeaux, and hitter Chloe Cavalier each saw action during last season's appearance.

The Bucs went 0-2 at the tournament last season and are searching for their first nationals victory since 2022. Blinn has captured four national championships (2008, 2011, 2013, 2014).

"We're excited to go back," Hoss said. "We've worked hard, and the girls who are back from last season remember what happened in 2024 and wanted another chance to go to nationals and prove we're better than that. I think we're going to go with the understanding that everybody there is good, nothing is a given, and that we're going to have to put in the work to win every match."

Also on Blinn's side of the bracket will be No. 1 Miami Dade College vs. No. 16 Indian Hills Community College; No. 4 Northeastern Junior College vs. No. 13 Eastern Arizona College; and No. 5 Barton Community College vs. No. 12 Snow College.

The winner of Blinn-Odessa will battle either Miami Dade or Indian Hills in the quarterfinal round.

On the other side of the bracket will be No. 2 Weatherford College vs. No. 15 Casper College; No. 7 Salt Lake Community College vs. No. 10 New Mexico Military Institute; No. 3 Florida SouthWestern State College (the defending national champion) vs. No. 14 Mineral Area College; and No. 6 Trinity Valley Community College vs. No. 11 Frank Phillips College.

All tournament matches will be broadcast by the NJCAA Network on www.njcaa.org.