Peter Dindinger – NMMI Sports Press
ODESSA, Texas — To round out the three-day Wrangler Classic in Odessa, Texas, the New Mexico Military Institute Bronco volleyball team put together a hard fought sweep of the Cisco College Wranglers, 25-17, 25-20, 25-18, on Saturday afternoon.
NMMI (4-4) went 3-1 at the tourney after defeating Trinity Valley Community College and Victoria College in straight sets.
The Broncos will be in action at the Grizzly Invitational in West Plains, Mo., for a two-day tourney Friday and Saturday, Feb. 5-6.
NMMI opens up with Trinity Valley at 12:30 p.m. CST before taking on Jefferson College at 5:30 p.m. CST.
In the first set against the Wranglers, there were two early lead changes before the Broncos gained a five-point lead after an ace by freshman Marian Ovalle.
The offensive momentum continued onward as NMMI led 14-7 in the middle of the set.
Cisco College cut the deficit back down to five but the Broncos surged ahead to take a six-point lead. Sophomore Vittoria Price notched the set point with a dominating kill to help NMMI win the game by eight.
Sophomore Julia Johnson got the Broncos on the board in the second set with a quick kill. The game saw three more lead changes before Cisco College took a three-point lead.
NMMI battled back to tie the game after another ace by Ovalle.
The game endured one more tie in the score until the Broncos got a pair of kills from Johnson and Vittoria Price.
Johnson also had a key block that allowed NMMI's lead to increase to three points.
Cisco College tried to keep things close but the Broncos didn't buckle as they held the lead for the rest of the game to eventually win 25-20.
Much like the second game, NMMI and Cisco College were deadlocked three times before the Broncos gained some breathing room with a seven-point lead.
The Wranglers didn't go down quietly as they chiseled the deficit down to three points but NMMI was determined to get the sweep.
Just as Cisco College thought it could sneak back in the Broncos pulled away by seven to take the final set.