Karen Boehler — For NMMI Sports Press
MIDLAND, Texas — The Bronco volleyball team took yet another 3-0 victory Saturday.
Of the team's nine wins, including both Western Junior College Athletic Conference match-ups, only one has gone to four games. But everything else in the road match vs. Midland College was perhaps a little bit different than normal.
"It was kind of like a reversal of any game we played this year," said head coach Shelby Forchtner. "We've really struggled to legitimize our defense and make it consistent. In every other match this season, we've relied heavily on our offense. But today it was kind of the complete opposite. Our defense was the one who held us in this game, kept us in this game, kept getting balls up. Our offense kept it in play, but we just weren't scoring a lot offensively."
Games 1 and 2 were very similar, in that NMMI lost the first point, but then came back to take a lead they'd never again lose.
In Game 1, they went up 3-1 then stretched the lead to 13-8 before the Chaparrals called a time out. Although the Broncos had few long runs at the line — only Aniston Biel strung together more than three points — Midland struggled to put togetther consecutive points as well, and the Institute closed with a 25-18 win.
NMMI (9-5 overall, 2-0 WJCAC) went up 4-1 to open Game 2, then had their biggest run of the day when they ran together six points on serving by Vittoria Price. That gave them enough of a lead to hang on against the determined Chaps, winning 25-20 on a kill by Katarzyna Niderla and a hitting error by Midland.
NMMI's lack of offensive firepower was most obvious in Game 3, when the Chaparrals (3-1, 0-1) took a quick lead then held on through six ties and an 8-7 Bronco lead before finally losing the lead for good at 18-17. The Institute then finished strong, closing out the set and match for a 25-20 victory.
While the overall offensive stats appeared decent, it all came from one player, Forchtner said.
"It's a good thing Kasia (Katarzyna Niderla) came to play offensively because she was probably legit the only one," she said. "There were others who kept balls in play but she was the only person who stood out on the attack today. In fact, I think our team as a whole hit under 200 (.191), and she hit 800 (.786) or something. So they're just lucky that she decided to come play offensively, because we definitely struggled today in that realm."
Niderla tallied 11 kills on the day. Marian Ovalle had seven and Darcy Dodd six.
On the defensive side, three players posted double-digits in digs and seven other Broncos contributed to the dig total. Kristijana Istuk led the way with 19, while Ovalle and Tiffinay Gauspohl had 16 each. In addition to her offensive stats, Niderla tallied two solo blocks and four assists.
NMMI is at the start of yet another long road trip, which continues Monday at 6 p.m. CST in Odessa vs. the No. 5 nationally-ranked Wranglers (13-2, 2-0).
"We're going to have to be good in every aspect against Odessa," Forchtner said. "We're going to have to be able to serve it tough. We're going to have to play defense like this but then our offense is going to have to really get back on track against them, because we're not going to be able to just go off one offensive threat."