Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press
ODESSA, Texas — On Day 1 of the Wrangler Classic on Thursday in Odessa, Texas, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco volleyball team started things off by sweeping Trinity Valley Community College, 25-13, 25-14, 25-18.
The momentum carried into the second day of the tourney during the first match on Friday as NMMI put together another sweep, this time over the Victoria College Pirates, 25-19, 25-13, 25-10.
Unfortunately, the Broncos could not finish strong during their final match of the day against the 4-1 Florida Southwestern Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers came away with the sweep of NMMI, 25-18, 25-12, 25-19.
NMMI closes out the three-day competition with Cisco College at 12 p.m. CST Saturday.
Against Victoria, the Broncos (3-4) got off to a quick start, leading by eight in the first set.
The Pirates cut the deficit to five late in the set but NMMI prevailed with the win.
NMMI continued its fast start as it took a commanding 20-9 lead late in the second set to eventually come away with a 12-point victory.
With the match lead at 2-0, the Broncos overcame a pair of early ties in the score before taking a 13-point lead in the middle of the third set.
The Broncos ended up winning the set by 15 points.
In the final match against Florida Southwestern, the Broncos trailed by three points early in the first set before tying the score and forcing four more lead changes.
Florida Southwestern used an 8-0 run in the middle of the game to increase the deficit to nine points to eventually capture the set.
The second set had a tight start before the Buccaneers pulled away with a nine-point lead.
Down 2-0 in the match, NMMI battled through four different lead changes until sophomore Julia Johnson tied up the set at 7-7.
NMMI kept the game close within four points in the middle set, however the Buccaneers ended up pulling away towards the end by six points.