BLINN VOLLEYBALL EARNS A ROAD WIN OVER WHARTON
(Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information)
The 14th-ranked Blinn College volleyball team continued its strong turnaround in Region 14 play Tuesday night, sweeping Wharton County Junior College 25-17, 25-12, 25-16 in Wharton, Texas.
The Buccaneers won their fourth consecutive match and improved to 21-4 overall. The Bucs also pulled even at 3-3 in Region 14 after opening conference play 0-3.
Blinn dominated from the service line, where it recorded 14 aces. The Bucs also finished with 32 kills and hit .259 as a team.
“It was a good win,” Blinn head coach Gregg Whitis said. “We played pretty clean and served it great.”
Freshman libero/defensive specialist Karolynn Youngblood led Blinn with six aces and added five digs. Sophomore middle blocker Alana Asante had five kills without an error on eight attacks, while sophomore hitter Aliyah Harris led the Bucs with eight kills and added two blocks.
Freshman hitter Chesney McCullough came off the bench to contribute five kills on 13 attacks with just one error, while freshman middle blocker Kansas Lamar had three kills on four attacks with no errors.
Freshman setter Skylar Herring recorded 24 assists and four digs, while sophomore libero/defensive specialist Natalia Silva added eight digs.
Whitis was particularly pleased with the contributions from Youngblood and McCullough.
“Karolynn really made a big difference at the service line for us,” he said. “McCullough came in and made a difference for us. I was really proud of her for coming in and making an impact.”
Youngblood and McCullough were among several players Whitis highlighted following the victory.
“Karolynn and Chesney scored a bunch of points and were really low error,” he said. “Kansas Lamar played well for us. Alana Asante was efficient.”
The Bucs controlled all three sets to pick up their fourth consecutive sweep and 16th of the season.
“It was a really good performance tonight on the road,” Whitis added. “I’m happy with the back-to-back road performances.”
Whitis said the team's execution was among its best of the season.
“This was as well as we’ve competed and as clean as we’ve played in a while,” he said. “I was pleased with our approach to this match. The next match is the most important and our team is showing that they understand that.”
The Bucs now get a break before beginning the second round of region play. They return to action when they visit Navarro College at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Corsicana, Texas.