Northwest volleyball sweeps Northeast to advance to Region 23 semifinals

• Rangers earn straight-set playoff victory, 25-21, 26-24, 25-15
• Balanced offense and dominant blocking lead Northwest’s win
• Team advances to face Pearl River in Region 23 semifinals Saturday

SENATOBIA, Miss. – The Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball team is moving on. Just two days after surviving a five-set battle with Northeast Mississippi Community College, the Rangers dominated the rematch Wednesday night in straight sets, 25-21, 26-24, 25-15, to punch their ticket to the Region 23 semifinal in Ellisville on Saturday.

Head coach Allison Burchyett said the team was determined to make a statement after Monday’s grueling win.

“We really wanted to come out and win in three tonight,” Burchyett said. “It was great to pull out a gritty win on Monday in five, but we really wanted to set the tone in the playoffs and start strong. I loved our balanced offense, and I loved our girls stepping up on defense too. The blocks for us tonight were out of this world.”

Northwest trailed by as many as four in every set but repeatedly rallied, showing poise under pressure. Freshman Adalyn Callahan of Hernando said the motivation came from playing for the team’s sophomores in their final home match.

“We all knew this was the last time the sophomores might play and our last time at home,” Callahan said. “We just wanted to do it for the sophomores.”

The second set proved crucial as the Rangers battled back from a 19-14 deficit, winning 26-24 after a late timeout refocused the squad. In the final frame, Northwest erupted for a 9-0 run to close the match, part of a 24-10 surge that sealed its first sweep since October 8.

Nine Rangers recorded kills, led by Ariana Woods with nine, Chloe Fesperman with seven, and Callahan with six. Dallas White and Chloe Rodriguez combined for 29 assists, while Hassie Clare Thurman delivered four aces and a team-high 13 digs. Woods added six blocks as the Rangers out-blocked Northeast 8-0.

Northwest now advances to face Pearl River Community College at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Region 23 semifinal at Jones College. The teams split their regular-season meetings, each earning a road sweep.

Burchyett said the Rangers must start fast against a skilled Pearl River team.

“We need to stay calm and composed but have a little more initiative early,” she said.

Callahan added that consistency will be key:

“We can’t get into a hole early on. All our passes need to be consistent, and we all need to be ready to play because they’re tough.”