In a conference that has had four teams featured in the national rankings this fall, winning on the road at Clarendon College to open the league slate was paramount.
Despite a hostile and ruckus environment, the Badgers handed the Bulldogs their second loss of the season while securing their first victory (25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 25-13) on the Bulldogs’ home floor since 2023.
AC’s four-set win (25-15, 20-25, 25-18, 25-13) was driven by a balanced offense and a strong showing at the service line.
After losing set two and falling behind 8-3 in the third set, the Badgers went on a 7-2 run to tie the match at 10 all. Returning all-conference middle blocker Emery Bryan ignited the rally with an ace and kill.
Amarillo native Berkley Harper had two blocks and a kill, and Sam Cardona added a block of her own during the nine-point span.
Clarendon responded with a 6-3 run to take a 16-13 lead. Down 18-16, AC scored nine consecutive points to win the third set.
The Bulldogs had little fight left in set four after their set-three shortcomings as the Badgers vaulted to an 8-1 lead in the final frame.
Wunsch tallied five of her six kills during the match-ending set.
Four Badger players recorded at least eight kills, including a team-high nine by returning all-conference middle blocker Bryan.
Harper, Delany Galligan, and Chayse Wilson each recorded eight kills.
Also worthy of mention, Maevyn Wunsch (6 kills) and Sam Cardona (5 kills) finished Wednesday’s match with hitting percentages over .300.
Sophomore setter London Baker dished out her third-highest assist total of the season (29) and tied the program’s single-game ace record (6) in the process.
Badgers fall in 5 sets to No. 9 Thunderbirds
AC’s promising start to conference play on Sept. 16 continued in impressive fashion against ninth-ranked New Mexico Junior College on Friday at home.
The Badgers played arguably their best sets of the season during the first two frames, winning both 25-19.
Then the Thunderbirds flipped the script, and New Mexico JC showed why they were ranked as a top-10 team heading into the week.
Blanka Piecyk, a 6-foot-0 opposite hitter from Poland, and Xina Cortez, a freshman outside hitter from Peru, willed NMJC back with 32 of their team’s 66 kills.
Piecyk had a match-best .433 hitting percentage with 15 kills on 30 swings. Cortez tallied a match-high 17 kills.
The T-Birds claimed the five-set victory 19-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-8. to move AC’s conference record to 1-1.
Harper tallied a team-high 13 kills for the Badgers via a .303 hitting percentage.
The Tascosa High School alum finished her first week of the WJCAC slate with the team’s highest kill total (21) and hitting percentage (.313).
