BEEVILLE, Texas — The Blinn College volleyball team (29-6, 4-5) concluded the regular season with a 3-1 (26-28, 25-18, 25-19, 25-21) victory over Coastal Bend College on Saturday. 

"We did not play all that great today, but what we did was keep fighting," said Terry Gamble, Blinn head coach. "I am really proud of how the team played in the regular season and what we did with the injuries that we had was quite an accomplishment. Now we will get ready for regionals next week." 

Essence Clerkley led Blinn with a season-high 19 kills, while recording four digs and two block assists. Giulia Hortelan led Blinn with 19 digs and chipped in nine kills, Taylor Henderson recorded nine kills, Kaitlyn Pollard recorded 42 assists and Chloe Mullins tallied 17 digs.

After falling behind in the match in a close first set, 28-26, the Buccaneers bounced back to win the next three sets. Clerkley led Blinn with five kills and Mullins led with five digs for the Buccaneers to claim the second set, 25-18. Mullins, Hortelan and Tatum Smidovec combined for 12 digs in the third set for Blinn to win, 25-19. The Buccaneers finished the Cougars off with a 25-21 win in the fourth set. 

Next, Blinn will compete in the 2019 NJCAA Region XIV Volleyball Championship Tournament on Nov. 1-3.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 41 NJCAA national championships since 1987.