Despite not being at full health for its season-opening stanza in Roswell, N.M., the Amarillo College volleyball program showed its potential and depth against a perennial Region 1 powerhouse from the outset.
AC took No. 10 Eastern Arizona to five sets in their season-opening match at the NMMI Classic on Thursday without starting setter London Baker. The Badgers won the first and third sets before dropping the final two frames in a down-to-the-wire defeat (20-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 15-12).
One noticeable uptick on the stat sheet after Thursday’s loss compared to previous seasons was offensive versatility.
Coach Scott Sandel’s squad had three players finish the match vs. Eastern Arizona with at least 12 kills, and two others tallied seven or more, underscoring its balanced attack. Sophomore Sam Cardona had a career-best performance, putting down 13 spikes on 27 swings.
Chayse Wilson added a career-high 16 kills via a .344 hitting percentage, while returning all-conference middle blocker Emery Bryan had 12 kills.
Freshman Anna Escamilla recorded 27 assists and fellow rookie Peyton Stade had a team-high two blocks.
The Badgers bounced back on Friday with a pair of wins, downing Mesa Community College in four sets (22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-17) and sweeping Ranger College (25-21, 25-20, 25-23).
Returning all-conference outside hitter Delany Galligan led the team with 19 kills in the pair of victories, hitting .271.
Bryan tied the Badgers’ record for blocks in a single match (6) against Mesa.
In the tourney finale on Saturday, AC faced No. 4 Weatherford College, the reigning Region 5 champion, and dropped the match in straight sets (25-12, 25-18, 25-12).
Coyotes’ returning All-American Beline Thibaut, a native of France, had a match-high 12 kills via a .500 clip during Saturday morning’s matchup with the Badgers.
On Aug. 24, returning Badger sophomore Chayse Wilson was named to the NMMI Classic All-Tournament Team. The Round Rock, Texas native led AC in kills (37) and hitting percentage (.255) across four matches.
For those who kept tabs on the team in the spring, Wilson’s performance was no surprise, but rather a confirmation of substantial improvement. Sandel previously noted that the Round Rock Christian Academy product was a top performer in spring practices and scrimmages.
AC cruises past Lamar in home opener
The Badgers responded to a lopsided loss to national-title contender Weatherford last weekend with their most dominant performance in a single set in team history on Monday.
AC opened its first home match of the season with a 25-6 first-set victory over Lamar Community College and proceeded to sweep the Lopes (25-6, 25-19, 25-20).
The Lopes rallied in the second set, tying the match at 10-10. Galligan quickly shifted the momentum back in the Badgers’ favor with back-to-back kills, sparking an 8-3 AC run.
A similar script followed in the final frame, as Lamar kept pace through the midpoint of set three. With the score at 16-14, Maevyn Wunsch put down a pair of kills during an AC 5-2 run, extending the Badgers’ lead to 21-16.
Wunsch, a Goliad High School product, led AC with 12 kills via a .550 hitting percentage.
The Badgers’ all-time single-season assists leader from a year ago, London Baker, made her sophomore debut against the Lopes and dished out a team-high 24 assists.
AC enters Wednesday’s doubleheader in Gainesville, Texas, with a 3-2 record.
The Badgers are scheduled to play the host, North Central Texas College, at 10 a.m. on Aug. 25, followed by a 1 p.m. matchup against Navarro College.
