With conference play on the horizon, Amarillo College secured valuable momentum in their final non-conference road tourney of the season.
Scott Sandel’s squad swept three opponents at the Blinn Invite last weekend in Brenham and took a set from the fourth-ranked Bucs on their home floor during the Badgers’ lone defeat of the tournament.
AC downed Temple College 25-16, 25-19, 25-9 to open the tourney on Friday afternoon in what proved to be one of their most dominant showings this fall.
Sophomore Libero Tyler Pool tied the school record for aces in a match (6), while returning all-conference middle blocker Emery Bryan tallied the second-highest hitting percentage in a match (.591) with a team-high 14 kills on 22 swings during Friday’s opener.
The Badgers fended off a sweep against Blinn to close play on Friday by winning a 27-25 third set, but were unable to sustain their late surge in a four-set defeat (25-16, 25-14, 25-27, 25-13).
Facing a 24-23 deficit in the third set vs. the Bucs, Delany Galligan and Berkley Harper recorded back-to-back kills to give AC a 25-24 advantage. Following a service error, Sam Cardona blocked Aliyah Harris to give the Badgers a 26-25 lead.
Pool secured the third-set victory with an ace.
AC’s past trend of starting slow in the morning was nullified on Saturday during the team’s first-ever meeting vs. McLennan Community College – a second-year Region 5 program.
Wilson, who earned a spot on the NMMI Classic All-Tournament team just a few weeks ago, set an AC record for the hitting percentage in a match (.647) with a match-best 12 kills on 17 swings.
The Badgers made quick work of Wharton County Junior College to close the event in Brenham. AC downed the Pioneers 25-12, 25-19, 25-20.
Amarillo native Harper set the tone en route to the Badgers’ third sweep at the event, finishing with six kills via a .357 hitting percentage and tying a team-high block total (3).
The Badgers’ record improved to 8-4 overall following the Blinn Invite.
Next up
The Badgers will host the Amarillo College Subway Invitational, starting on Thursday with a rematch vs. No. 4 Blinn, starting at 6 p.m.
