Northwest Mississippi Volleyball Extends Winning Streak to 11 with Sweep of Williams Baptist JV
Senatobia, Miss. — The Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball team extended its winning streak to 11 matches by defeating Williams Baptist University JV in straight sets Tuesday night at Howard Coliseum.
The Rangers won the sets by scores of 25-9, 25-12, and 25-13. The victory improves their season-opening streak of consecutive sets won to 33.
Freshman setter Dallas White said the team benefits from giving all players court time. “It lets us be able to get used to different people,” she said. “Everyone hits different, everyone plays different, or has a different tone on the court, so it’s important to stay connected as a team. It’s easier to play when they do go in, and you aren’t playing with the same six every time.”
The Rangers started strong, with Reese McIntosh leading an 8-0 run to open the first set. Northwest maintained control, relying on Ariana Woods’ attack and service game, which included four of the team’s six aces, four of them from Jania Rose. Williams Baptist cut the deficit to 11-6, but Northwest responded with a 14-1 run to take the first set.
In the second set, the Eagles briefly led at 2-1 and 5-3 before Northwest rallied behind a 7-0 run on Adalyn Callahan’s serve. Valerie Hurdle contributed four kills during the rally, helping the Rangers build a 12-5 lead. Talley Taylor then added a service run, extending the lead to 16-6, and Northwest pulled away for a 25-12 victory.
The third set saw the Eagles take an early 5-1 lead as Northwest rotated players, but the Rangers responded with a six-point rally on Chloe Rodriguez’s serve to lead 9-6. Williams Baptist evened the score at 10, but Rose and White combined for a 10-1 run to close out the match with a 25-13 win. The team finished the set with an ace, sealing the victory.
Hurdle led the team with a season-best hitting percentage of .727, totaling eight kills on 11 attempts without errors. Thirteen players recorded kills, with Woods, Payton Davis, Kylee Garcia, and Ma’Kayla Hill each adding five kills. Amaure’i Jones contributed three kills, and seven players registered at least one kill.
White emphasized the importance of live match experience. “When you get to conference games and playoffs, it’s very crucial because what if someone gets hurt?” she said. “I have faith in everyone on this team that they can go in and do their job no matter what.”
The team’s passing was strong, with White and Chloe Rodriguez totaling 16 and 13 assists, respectively. The Rangers served 12 aces, led by Rose’s four. Defensively, Taylor led with six digs, followed by five from Rodriguez and Rose. Wier, White, and Callahan each finished with four digs.
The Rangers will return to action Wednesday at Meridian Community College for back-to-back non-conference matches. The opening serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Graham Gymnasium. Streaming information is available at nwccrangers.com.
Follow Northwest volleyball and other updates on the team’s social media channels.
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