CASPER, Wyo. – Blinn College volleyball controlled the first round match against Hutchinson Community College and moved on to the second round with a 3-0 victory at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyo.
The Buccaneers won by the score of 25-11, 25-15 and 25-11 and will now move on to play Arizona Western College Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m. (Mountain time).
Rachel Sharp played a solid game for Blinn as she was effective with five kills, three digs and three block assists. Tawnee Luafalemana led the Buccaneers in kills with 10 with a .529 hitting percentage and four block assists.
"This match felt like everyone was doing their job and clicking," Sharp said. "We definitely took control of the match with our aggressive serving and took them out of their game."
Rebecca Reeve was also solid on offense with nine kills and a .615 hitting percentage. Trinity Alualu and Abolanle Onipede each picked up five kills in the victory.
"I thought we came out ready to play and the numbers were really good," said head coach Erin Mellinger. "We are just really focused right now and they did a good job of just controlling the match."
Blinn started out impressively by jumping out to an 8-1 lead after a strong serve from Sharp. That lead ballooned out to 20-6 after a block from Luafalemana and the Buccaneers earned the first set victory 25-11.
The second set was slightly closer but Blinn still controlled the majority of the set and following a kill from Reeve that gave Blinn a 22-12 lead the Buccaneers were able to take a 2-0 lead after a 25-15 second set win.
The third set was just as smooth for Blinn as the serve of Alyssa LaMont gave the Buccaneers a 19-6 lead. From there, Blinn sealed the match with a kill from Alualu for a 25-11 third set to complete the sweep.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 29 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
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 19,317 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for 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.
