The Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball team defeated Northeast Mississippi Community College in a five-set thriller (25-16, 21-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-12) to close the regular season.
The victory was the 29th of the season for the Rangers, setting a new program record for wins in a single season, surpassing the 28 set in 2023.
Ariana Woods and Adalyn Callahan both eclipsed the 300-kill mark on the season, becoming only the second duo in program history to achieve the feat.
SENATOBIA, Miss. – The Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball team set a new program record with its 29th victory of the season, closing the regular season Monday night with a thrilling five-set win against Northeast Mississippi Community College.
The Rangers (29-5, 13-3) rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Tigers (13-22, 4-12) in front of a large sophomore night crowd at Howard Coliseum. The final match scores were 25-16, 21-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-12.
“It was exciting to win on sophomore night,” Head Coach Allison Burchyett said. “A lot of times you can have some emotion involved in that with the care that you have for your sophomores… so it was a big win to get that for them tonight.”
The win surpassed the previous program record of 28 wins set in 2023.
The match also featured significant individual milestones, as Ariana Woods and Adalyn Callahan both surpassed the 300-kill mark for the season. They are only the second pair in program history to accomplish this, joining Maddie Smith and Rachel Stegall who did so last season.
“It feels amazing,” Woods, a freshman, said of the season. “I give it all to my team and my coach. We’ve worked really hard this season… we owe it to the sophomores, always stepping up and having our backs.”
After Northwest took the first set 25-16, Northeast battled back to win the next two sets, 25-21 and 25-22, putting the Rangers on the brink of defeat.
The Rangers rallied in a tight fourth set. After trailing, Northwest went on a 10-2 run to lead 24-21. Northeast tied the set at 24-24, but a clutch timeout allowed the Rangers to secure the final two points, winning 26-24 and forcing a decisive fifth set.
The final set saw nine ties before a 3-0 run gave Northwest the separation needed to clinch the set 15-12 and the match.
“We had to remember how to switch into that gear in the fifth set, but it was a good reminder that we play all the way to the end,” Burchyett said.
Woods led the offense with 18 kills, followed by Callahan with 17. Aven Mathis added 13 kills. Setters Dallas White and Chloe Rodriguez anchored the passing, finishing with 27 and 26 assists, respectively.
The match served as a preview for the postseason. The Rangers will host the Tigers again on Wednesday night in the opening round of the Region 23 tournament. The winner will advance to the semifinal in Ellisville on Saturday.
Northwest Mississippi Community College sophomore volleyball players with coaches Allison Burchyett and David Culver. (Maylee Willhite/nwccrangers.com)
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates and high school football play-by-play on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
