BRENHAM, Texas – After the 14th-ranked Blinn Buccaneers lost to No. 3 San Jacinto on Tuesday night, Blinn head coach Erin Mellinger said her ballclub needed just a few more players to step up and make an impact.
On Friday night they did exactly that, as Blinn swept Hill College 25-15, 25-23, 25-11 at the Blinn P.E. Building.
Sophomore outside hitter Ksenia Sukhareva posted a match-high 22 kills and three aces, and freshman middle blocker Bruna Evangelista added eight as both players continued their early-season dominance.
Freshman outside hitter Evely Macedo posted seven kills and a team-high 11 digs, and freshman middle blocker Emily Salter tallied seven kills with no errors. Freshman setters Crystal Young and Celeste Ramirez combined for 44 assists, as Young led the way with 31, and freshman outside hitter Dylan Dean added three kills in five attempts without committing an error.
Mellinger was excited by the offense and defense Macedo brought to the floor in her first extended action this season.
"She does a very good job in back-row attack," Mellinger said. "She's good at it and that's why we recruited her and why she's here, because she swings well from the back row. Two or three of her kills came from the front row, but the rest were from the back row and she did a very good job on defense."
The non-conference victory improved Blinn to 11-4 on the season.
The match marked the Buccaneers' final home match until Oct. 12. The team will travel to Laredo on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. contest.
