NMMI Sports Press
The No. 8 Broncos opened and closed the final day of the 15th annual NMMI Classic with wins over the South Mountain Cougars and the No. 9 Utah State University Eastern Eagles at Cahoon Armory Saturday.
In the 8 a.m. match, the Broncos hit the floor on fire, winning the first two sets 25-12 and 25-7, but the Cougars refocused before Set 3 and handed the Institute its first set loss after eight-straight to start the season.
"They did everything better in that third set, they were aggressive and had us out of system a lot," explained NMMI head coach Shelby Forchtner. "They flipped the momentum on us and we lost focus, so kudos to them."
The Broncos were back to form in the fourth and final set, dispatching the Cougars 25-11 to win the match 3-1.
Sophomores Leah Linares and Vitoria Oliveira and freshman Sarah Schubert each recorded double-digit kills while freshman Yuliana Favela was the most efficient with seven kills on 11 attempts with 2 errors, good for a .455 attack percentage.
The Broncos served up 11 aces, led by sophomore Kekililani Helekahi with five. On the defensive side, freshmen Fuka Sekita, Dilean Bounds and Schubert recorded more than half of the Institute's 70 digs.
Forchtner said it was great to see the newcomers earning time on the court and making the most of it this early in the season.
"It's been really nice to be able to just put people in and let everyone play," she said. "They all work so hard every day and to see them shine in game feels good. Everyone has been doing their part."
After the early game, there were four more matches and about seven hours until the Broncos would hit the floor again, but they didn't just kick back and take in the action. NMMI players served as line judges during games held in Cahoon Armory and next door in the Godfrey Athletic Center.
When they finally hit the floor a little behind schedule against No. 9 Utah State University Eastern, it looked like the players and coaches were anxious to cap off their home tourney with a fourth victory.
The Broncos jumped out to a 6-4 lead, but the Eagles went on a five point run to take the lead and wouldn't give it up. After a timeout down 13-7, Alyssa Portee stopped the bleeding with a big kill and the Institute rattled off a few points, but Utah was able to hold off the rally and take the first set 25-20.
"This game was different. They came with a much bigger block, they served tougher and we gave them a lot of free points," Forchtner said. "That was one of the worst sets we've played, but it's okay because we flipped the script after that."
The Broncos took a 6-0 lead to start Set 2, forcing Utah to call a timeout. After the break, the Eagles scored a couple points before Linares smashed a ball from the right side to keep the momentum on NMMI's side.
The prime pieces of the Bronco offense shined on the next play, as Sekita dug a tough serve, Bounds set it clean and Oliveira drilled it into the Cahoon hardwood.
The Broncos galloped to a 18-6 lead, and while the Eagles would rally with five straight points, it wasn't enough as Oliveira knocked a couple down, freshman Allison Miller made a falling save that lead to an out-of-bounds toss for Utah, and Portee crushed the final points for a 25-12 statement win in Set 2.
With Bounds controlling the floor, the Broncos jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the third set, but the Eagles wouldn't go away, tying the contest at 11-all.
Oliveira took the lead back with a big smash and Utah stayed within a point or two until errors and great serving from Helekahi allowed the Broncos to grab the last few points and take the set 25-20.
The Broncos took an 8-3 lead to begin the fourth set, but once again the Eagles clawed their way back, aided by NMMI errors and some tough calls from the officials. Down 19-15 coming out of the final home timeout, Portee crushed a 50/50 ball at the net and what followed was a complete meltdown for Utah.
The Eagles hit the next six shots out of bounds or into the net as the Broncos better positioned their blocks. Utah tried to change the vibe with their final timeout, but an error, another Portee smash and a hot serve from Helekahi finished off the ninth-ranked team in the country.
Linares led the Broncos with 17 kills and Portee hit .300, going 9-for-20 with three errors. Schubert led the team with 13 digs while Bounds and Sekita added 10 apiece.
Forchtner said she was mostly pleased with her squad's first weekend of play, which featured a packed house on Thursday night and an empty gym early this morning.
"We defended our floor, so mission accomplished," she said. "But we're really going to find out what were made of on the road for the next month. We should be tested and seasoned for conference play. That's the goal."
NMMI might have the toughest schedule in the country. They will play the No. 2, 4(twice), 5, 6, 12 and 16 teams during a 12-game stretch, all away from the Armory.
The Broncos head to Odessa on Friday to start the road show against No. 16 Snow College at 10 a.m. Central.