(Pictured from left: Blinn College's Kelsi Wingo, Ellie Turner and Kierslynn Wright)

The seventh-ranked Blinn College volleyball team opened its season and the Region V vs. Region XIV Showdown with a sweep of Dallas College-Cedar Valley on Thursday night at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, Texas.

Blinn won the match 25-17, 25-9, 25-16.

The Buccaneers ended day one of the three-day tournament with a perfect record to begin their follow-up to a 2021 season which saw them reach the NJCAA Division I National Volleyball Championship for a second consecutive year.

"It was a good first win," said fifth-year Blinn head coach Terry Gamble."

Gamble said he was especially impressed with freshman setter Kelsi Wingo, who kept the Buccaneer attack moving with a team-high 16 set assists. Freshman Darby Nash chipped in with seven. At the net, sophomore Kierslynn Wright knocked down 11 kills to pace the Buccaneer offense.

Defensively, sophomore libero Ellie Turner paced her team with 18 digs, and freshmen Emily Hardee and Madi Gundry had 13 and 12 digs, respectively. 

Blinn also had a good night defending Cedar Valley's attack with 10 total blocks.

The Buccaneers continue play in the Showdown when they take on Dallas College Mountain View at 1 p.m. Friday. Blinn faces Ranger College at 5 p.m., also Friday, and wraps up the tournament with a tilt against Cisco College at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.