BLINN TO HONOR 2013 VOLLEBALL CHAMPS

Community invited to championship celebration Jan. 25 

After securing its third national title – and its second in three years – Blinn College is celebrating its 2013 national champion volleyball team.

The Blinn Foundation and Lettermen Association are inviting the community to join them in a celebratory luncheon at noon on Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Janis Sneed Banquet Room on the Brenham campus. Individual tickets are $20 and tables of eight are available for $300, which includes a VIP reception with the athletes, coaches and the College’s Board of Trustees. Two volleyballs signed by the players and coaches will be auctioned off. All proceeds will benefit the Blinn athletic department.

Also during the luncheon, the Foundation and Lettermen Association will award the Kruse family the Don Wilhelm PHD award, which is awarded by the Lettermen Association to deserving individuals for their pride, honor and dedication to their community. In June 2013, the Kruse family provided a donation that has helped the College begin development of a 40,000-square-foot recreation center for students on the Brenham campus.

Tickets can be purchased at the Foundation’s Whigham House, located at 902 College Ave., or by calling Celia Haley at 979-830-4017.

The volleyball team defeated Tyler Junior College, 3-1, to claim the national championship in Casper, Wyo., in November. The Buccaneers finished the season 39-3 and swept through four matches at the tournament to claim the title. The Buccaneers earned a berth to the national tournament by winning five of six matches at the Region XIV Championships, defeating the team they would eventually play in the NJCAA finals for the regional title. After the season, sophomores Bruna Evangelista, Crystal Young and Kariana Castanon-Hill were named All-Americans.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and has captured 27 NJCAA national championships since 1987, including volleyball championships in 2008, 2011 and 2013. For more information on Blinn athletics, visit: www.buccaneersports.com.

(Story Courtesy: Matt Keyser, Blinn Information)