BLINN VOLLEYBALL COMES FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT PANOLA

(Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information)

The No. 13 Blinn College volleyball team overcame a late second-set deficit to fuel a four-set victory over Panola College in a Region 14 matchup Thursday at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas.

The Buccaneers rallied out of a 23-18 hole to win the second set 25-23, then controlled the final two sets to secure a 21-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-18 victory.

Blinn improved to 23-6 overall and 5-5 in Region 14 play.

“It's good to get out of here with a win and good to win at home,” Blinn head coach Gregg Whitis said. “It feels like we haven't won here in forever. It was a team effort.”

Freshman outside hitter Akira Smallwood led Blinn with 19 kills while hitting .400 and added 13 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Aliyah Harris recorded 15 kills, and freshman hitter Nevaeh English contributed 13 kills while hitting .360. Freshman setter Skylar Herring finished with 28 assists, and sophomore libero/defensive specialist Natalia Silva led the Bucs with 15 digs.

Blinn struggled to find its rhythm early as Panola jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opening set. The Bucs fought back to tie the score at 18, but a service error helped the Fillies regain the lead, and Panola held on for a 25-21 win.

Panola appeared poised to take a commanding 2-0 lead after building a five-point advantage late in the second set. Blinn responded with a 7-0 run, beginning with a Smallwood kill and a Panola violation. Freshman libero/defensive specialist Sophia Green followed with a service ace before Smallwood delivered back-to-back kills to tie the score. After a Fillies error gave Blinn set point, Smallwood finished the rally with another kill.

The momentum carried into the third set as Blinn raced out to a 6-0 lead. Panola pulled within one at 8-7, but the Bucs closed the set on a 17-8 run, capped by a kill from freshman middle blocker Kansas Lamar.

In the fourth set, Panola led 5-3 before consecutive kills from Lamar and Harris evened the score. The teams remained tied at 7 before a Fillies error put Blinn ahead for good. Harris delivered the match-clinching kill in the set victory.

Whitis acknowledged the team's early mistakes but praised its response and ability to finish the match.

“We weren't around in the first two sets. We made a bunch of errors and were scoring points for them in every way possible, whether it was passing free balls out of bounds or making other mistakes,” Whitis said. “We had a big deficit to overcome in the second set, but we had some good serving, applied service pressure, and got a little help from them with their own errors.

“Once we took that set, I thought we had a little life back and felt better about ourselves. We were able to do some things after that.”

The Bucs have been adjusting to lineup changes and giving younger players opportunities to take on expanded roles. Smallwood has stepped into a six-rotation role, while other players have contributed as the team navigates injuries.

Whitis praised Smallwood's offensive production while noting the experience she is gaining in her expanded role.

“Anytime you hit .400 on the left, that's a good night,” Whitis said. “They served her 34 balls, so she had to hang in there.”

Harris said the younger players have responded well to their opportunities, emphasizing the importance of staying prepared and maintaining the team's energy.

“You never know when you're going to go in or how long you're going to play, so you have to stay ready in practice and during games,” Harris said. “I love how energetic everybody is and how ready they are to contribute.”

With three regular-season matches remaining, Blinn will look to build on Thursday's victory and strengthen its position heading into the postseason.

“We're definitely working to get our winning streak back,” Harris said. “We have to build on this, keep finishing and closing out sets, and not limp to the finish. We need to keep going, keep pushing, and keep that intensity up until the match is over.”

Blinn returns to action at 6 p.m. on Monday against Collin College in a non-region road matchup in Plano, Texas.