Senatobia — Northwest Mississippi Community College improved to 10-0 with a three-set victory over Itawamba Community College at Howard Coliseum. The Rangers swept the Indians 25-15, 25-10, 25-22, marking their tenth straight win and maintaining a perfect record in sets played this season.
Freshman outside hitter Sofia Gonzalez praised the team’s performance after the match. “It’s really impressive, but with the team we have, this is what we should be doing,” she said. “We work for it, and it’s what we should be doing as a team.”
The opening set was initially tense, with Itawamba tying the match at 3 early. Northwest responded with a 3-0 run and pulled ahead for good. The Indians stayed close until Wier’s eight-point serving run gave NWCC a commanding 19-9 lead. The Rangers closed the set 25-15.
In the second set, NWCC dominated with only 17 attacks and seven kills, winning 25-10. Errors by Itawamba plagued the Indians early, allowing the Rangers to take control. The third set saw Itawamba fight back, taking an early lead and holding it through the first seven points. Gonzalez’s attack tied the set at 4, and back-to-back errors by ICC gave NWCC a 7-5 edge.
Itawamba responded to tie the set at 11 and 13 and took an 18-15 lead. NWCC then rallied behind Wier’s service run, leveling the score at 22 before closing out the match 25-22. Ariana Woods led the attack with 11 kills and a .318 hitting percentage. Gonzalez added nine kills, and Valerie Hurdle contributed seven on 15 attempts.
Setters Chloe Rodriguez and Dallas White each dished out 12 assists, with Wier adding five in out-of-system plays. Defensively, six Rangers had at least five digs, led by Wier with nine, Gonzalez with eight, and White with seven. Gonzalez noted the team’s communication and positivity on the court.
Northwest will have a week off before returning home September 8 to face Williams Baptist University JV at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed on Ranger TV. Fans can follow the team at nwccrangers.com and on social media.
