T-Bird (VB) Drops WJCAC Opener in 5 Sets to Frank
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
25 | 16 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 3 |
|
|
21 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 12 | 2 |
Team Stats
Frank Phillips College
New Mexico Junior College
| Game Statistics | Frank Phillips College | New Mexico Junior College |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .157 | .225 |
| Blocks | 8.0 | 12.0 |
| Digs | 87 | 79 |
| Aces | 5 | 9 |
The Thunderbirds fell in five sets (25-21, 16-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-12) to No. 14 Frank Phillips College in the WJCAC opener on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
NMJC was in a battle in the first set trailing 20-19. Frank Phillips won five of the next seven points to come out in front 25-21. In the second set, the Thunderbirds stormed out to a 6-0 lead. NMJC extended their second set lead to 13-5. The T-Birds went on to win the set 25-16 to tie the match up at 1-1.
The Thunderbirds were in a stalemate at the midway point of the third set tied 11-11. A Deniz Akgul kill from the right side tied the score back up again at 16 apiece. Frank scored five straight points to grab a 21-16 lead in Set 3.
NMJC pulled within three points, 23-20, with back to back aces by Elif Akarsu. Frank held a 24-20 lead which was cut to 24-22 but a service error by Noemi Marinho ended the set in favor of the Plainsmen.
Frank Phillips led 13-8 and 15-9 in the fourth set. NMJC scored five straight to make the score 15-14 Plainsmen. The T-Birds took a 19-17 advantage following an ace by Kawena Crowell and a kill by Duda Tonella. A kill and an ace by Ava Kincaid made it 22-18 NMJC. A Leticia Neves kill kept the lead at four, 23-19, and a block by Akarsu and Neves moved the score to 24-19. Deniz Akgul ended the fourth set at 25-20 with a kill to even the match at 2-2.
The fifth set started tied at 5-5. Plainsmen score two straight to make it 7-5 and then traded points until it was 11-9. NMJC trailed 14-10 but a service error and a block by Neves and Tonella made the deficit 14-12. The Plainsmen ended the match with a kill by Alana Martinez to win 15-12 in five sets.
Setter Noemi Marinho notched her fifth double-double of the season with 25 assists and 14 digs. Outside hitter Leticia Neves picked up her sixth double-double of the year posting 13 kills, 11 digs, and six blocks.
Outside hitter Ava Kincaid recorded 11 kills and six digs. Sophomore Deniz Akgul was also in double digits with 11 kills.
Libero Lauren Shiplet finished with 28 digs while setter Kawena Crowell added 19 assists. Middle Zaira Romero finished with seven kills while Duda Tonella registered seven blocks.
The Thunderbirds drop to 9-8 (0-1) on the year and will face Amarillo College on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. MDT in Hobbs, NM.
