The top-ranked Blinn College volleyball team topped a pair of nationally-ranked foes and improved to 15-0 on the season Friday in the first day of the Blinn Invitational.
The defending national champion Buccaneers swept 17th-ranked Hill College 25-17, 25-18, 25-21 and topped Salt Lake (Utah) Community College 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-13.
Rebecca Reeve led the Buccaneer offense with 11 kills against Hill, while Trinity Alualu hit .421 to finish with nine kills and Abolanle Onipede added seven kills while hitting .466. Jordyn Keamo dished out a team-high 13 assists and Justus Tuiolosega added eight assists.
Defensively, Alyssa LaMont led the way with 13 digs and Tawnee Luafalemana finished with a team-high six blocks.
Luafalemana and Alualu shared the Buccaneers' offensive load against Salt Lake, finishing with 13 kills apiece while Reeve added eight. Tuiolosega dished out 26 assists while Keamo added 12, and LaMont again led the defense with 19 digs. Luafalemana had a team-high four blocks in the match as she finished with 10 on the day.
The victory over Salt Lake marked just the second time this season the Buccaneers have been pushed to a fourth set, as they have swept 13 of their 15 opponents.
The Bucs conclude tournament play Saturday as they host fourth-ranked Tyler at 1 p.m. and Hillsborough Community College at 7 p.m. in the Blinn P.E. Building. Hillsborough was ranked ninth in the NJCAA preseason poll.
About Blinn College
Founded in 1883, Blinn is a comprehensive community college committed to educational excellence and to individual and community enhancement. With an enrollment of 18,413 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for its affordable educational excellence.
As part of its commitment to student success, Blinn is implementing a Quality Enhancement Plan titled "Destination Success: First-Year Focus," which utilizes learning communities to support first-year college students.
For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.
