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San Jac’s national title hopes dashed by Blinn
For The Pasadena Citizen
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Attempting to win its first national championship since 1993, the San Jacinto College Central Campus women’s volleyball program will have to wait a little longer after rival Blinn Junior College nipped San Jac 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division I national championship tournament at Mid-America Center Thursday night.
In a showdown pitting the No. 4 Bucs versus the No. 5 Ravens, Blinn handed San Jac its first defeat since early September with a 25-20, 21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-12 decision.
But San Jac, 32-3, picked itself up off the mat Friday afternoon and defeated Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College 3-1 to remain in contention for the fifth-place prize from the field of 16 national championship tournament qualifiers.
San Jac opposed Miami-Dade Community College Saturday in that battle for fifth in the nation.
But no doubt the Blinn defeat was still stinging. For head coach Sharon Nelson, it was just her club’s third defeat of the season and two of the losses have come against the Lady Bucs. Blinn defeated San Jac at the Blinn College Tournament Aug. 29-30 in another five-gamer.
Blinn’s freshman outside hitter Cinthya Roberto led her team with 23 kills then completed the double-double with 15 digs. Freshman middle blocker Lakeshia Craft added 16 kills and also helped shut down the Ravens’ attack with four solo blocks and six block assists.
Sophomore setter Kayla Schmidt led the offense, dishing out 52 assists, while two other players led the defensive charge – sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Goodwin tallied 16 digs and sophomore defensive specialist Kara Stinson collected 11 digs.
“It was one of those things where you knew it was going to be a fight,” Blinn head coach David Rehr said. “You knew they weren’t going to lie down and we prepared ourselves for it.”
With Blinn threatening to win the match in four games, the Bucs enjoyed a 15-13 lead off two San Jac hitting errors. But All-Conference selection Julia Teixeira, who finished with 23 kills, helped San Jac come back and win 25-22, prompting the all-or-nothing fifth game.
Bruna Rocha scored another double-double of with 22 kills and 19 digs, but San Jac hit just .193 to Blinn’s .234. Dobie High School product Abbey Parker, San Jac’s setter, led the offense with 53 assists.
In Friday’s victory over No. 8 Hillsborough, the team won by scores of 25-22, 25-17, 27-29, 25-18.
Despite hitting just .141 against Hillsborough, sophomore Zuzana Cizova notched her 22nd double-double of the season with a team-high 24 kills and 18 digs. She was one of three San Jac players with double-digit kills and one of four who recorded double-digit digs.
Teixeira, 18 kills and 15 digs and Rocha recorded 10 kills and 16 digs. Freshman Libero Morgan Hines contributed 15 digs.
San Jac opened the national tournament Thursday afternoon, eliminating Hutchinson Community College from national title consideration by the scores of 25-11, 25-14, 25-21.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Attempting to win its first national championship since 1993, the San Jacinto College Central Campus women’s volleyball program will have to wait a little longer after rival Blinn Junior College nipped San Jac 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division I national championship tournament at Mid-America Center Thursday night.
In a showdown pitting the No. 4 Bucs versus the No. 5 Ravens, Blinn handed San Jac its first defeat since early September with a 25-20, 21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-12 decision.
But San Jac, 32-3, picked itself up off the mat Friday afternoon and defeated Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College 3-1 to remain in contention for the fifth-place prize from the field of 16 national championship tournament qualifiers.
San Jac opposed Miami-Dade Community College Saturday in that battle for fifth in the nation.
But no doubt the Blinn defeat was still stinging. For head coach Sharon Nelson, it was just her club’s third defeat of the season and two of the losses have come against the Lady Bucs. Blinn defeated San Jac at the Blinn College Tournament Aug. 29-30 in another five-gamer.
Blinn’s freshman outside hitter Cinthya Roberto led her team with 23 kills then completed the double-double with 15 digs. Freshman middle blocker Lakeshia Craft added 16 kills and also helped shut down the Ravens’ attack with four solo blocks and six block assists.
Sophomore setter Kayla Schmidt led the offense, dishing out 52 assists, while two other players led the defensive charge – sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Goodwin tallied 16 digs and sophomore defensive specialist Kara Stinson collected 11 digs.
“It was one of those things where you knew it was going to be a fight,” Blinn head coach David Rehr said. “You knew they weren’t going to lie down and we prepared ourselves for it.”
With Blinn threatening to win the match in four games, the Bucs enjoyed a 15-13 lead off two San Jac hitting errors. But All-Conference selection Julia Teixeira, who finished with 23 kills, helped San Jac come back and win 25-22, prompting the all-or-nothing fifth game.
Bruna Rocha scored another double-double of with 22 kills and 19 digs, but San Jac hit just .193 to Blinn’s .234. Dobie High School product Abbey Parker, San Jac’s setter, led the offense with 53 assists.
In Friday’s victory over No. 8 Hillsborough, the team won by scores of 25-22, 25-17, 27-29, 25-18.
Despite hitting just .141 against Hillsborough, sophomore Zuzana Cizova notched her 22nd double-double of the season with a team-high 24 kills and 18 digs. She was one of three San Jac players with double-digit kills and one of four who recorded double-digit digs.
Teixeira, 18 kills and 15 digs and Rocha recorded 10 kills and 16 digs. Freshman Libero Morgan Hines contributed 15 digs.
San Jac opened the national tournament Thursday afternoon, eliminating Hutchinson Community College from national title consideration by the scores of 25-11, 25-14, 25-21.
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