BLINN VOLLEYBALL EARNS TWO MORE WINS AT THE AMARILLO TOURNAMENT
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
The No. 4 Blinn College volleyball team continued its dominant run through the Amarillo Tournament, sweeping Midland College and McCook Community College on Friday in Amarillo, Texas.
The Buccaneers defeated Midland 25-16, 25-21, 25-19 before sweeping McCook 25-22, 25-23, 25-20 to improve to 16-2 overall. Blinn has now recorded 11 sweeps this season and is 15-1 in tournament matches.
The Bucs opened the day with a strong defensive performance against Midland, finishing with 61 digs and nine total blocks.
Sophomore hitters McKynzee Beddes and Aliyah Harris led the Buccaneer attack with 13 and 11 kills, respectively. Sophomore middle blocker Alana Asante and freshman hitter Nevaeh English added seven kills apiece as Blinn hit .252 as a team.
Freshman setter Skylar Herring recorded 27 assists while also contributing 14 digs.
Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Natalia Silva led the Bucs with 17 digs, while freshman libero/defensive specialist Kaylen Ottmers added 10.
Asante paced Blinn at the net with two solo blocks and five assists. Beddes added two solo blocks, while sophomore hitter Kassy De La Garza had two block assists.
“We played well against Midland,” Blinn head coach Gregg Whitis said. “We had to dig balls and we did. That allowed us to play from in front in every set, and finish sets. We’re not always as clean with the lead as we need to be. Sometimes we get comfortable with a lead.”
Whitis was particularly pleased with Blinn’s defensive effort.
“I was happy with the way we defended,” he said. “Our floor defense was quite good.”
Whitis also praised the play of sophomore middle blocker Alana Asante and freshman middle blocker Kansas Lamar, making special mention of Lamar’s recent rise.
“I was really happy with the way Kansas Lamar played,” Whitis said. “She’s been good in practice, and today she blocked well and scored when she was given opportunities.”
Blinn faced a tougher test in its second match of the day against McCook, which entered the contest with several offensive weapons.
“McCook is talented and it was a tough matchup for us,” Whitis said. “Their opposite hitter (freshman Relebohile Phamotse) might be the most impactful front-row player we’ve faced all season. She brought good physicality as an attacker and as a blocker.”
The Bucs responded by controlling the match from start to finish, leading in every set.
“There were pieces of each set of the McCook match where we played our best volleyball of the season,” Whitis explained.
Blinn did so without Beddes, who was rested because of a nagging injury. Freshman hitter Akira Smallwood stepped into the lineup and played all three sets, finishing with nine kills.
Smallwood also played all six rotations, contributing seven digs while helping Blinn handle McCook’s imposing front-row presence.
“The performance of Akira Smallwood was just outstanding,” Whitis said. “She attacked against a monster block and blocked against a monster attack. She really showed the entire team and herself that she’s a really good prospect — well, she’s not a prospect anymore, she’s a player now.”
Harris led the Bucs with 12 kills, while Asante and De La Garza each added six. Blinn hit .233 as a team.
Freshman setter Valerie Yambao recorded 17 assists, while Herring added 13. Yambao and Silva each served two of Blinn’s seven aces.
Blinn’s defense produced 42 digs, with Yambao recording nine and Silva and Ottmers adding eight apiece. Smallwood contributed seven.
The Bucs finished with seven total blocks. Freshman middle blocker London King recorded one solo block and two assists, while Harris added a solo. Smallwood and Asante each contributed three block assists.
Whitis credited Blinn’s serve receive with helping the Bucs maintain control against McCook.
“Our serve receive let us control the entire match,” he said. “It was the best match we’ve had from our serve receive, start to finish.”
Smallwood, Silva and Ottmers all played key roles in the effort, while Blinn also applied pressure with its service.
“We served it tougher, and we needed to because McCook had significant weapons,” Whitis said. “We had their setter on the run consistently, especially in the first half of each set.”
Whitis said the victory provided an important reminder of the depth within the Blinn roster.
“It was a good win without our six-rotation hitter who we hadn’t played without, but it’s good to know we have another kid who can do the job,” he said.
The Bucs will conclude the Amarillo Tournament at 9 a.m. Saturday against Western Texas College.