Northwest volleyball’s win streak snapped by East Central in four-set road loss

Photo: The Rangers huddle up after a point in a match earlier this season against Jones College at home. (Maylee Willhite/nwccrangers.com)

DECATUR, Miss. – The Northwest Mississippi Community College (NWCC) volleyball team saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday night, falling in a tough four-set road match to East Central Community College (ECCC).

The Rangers (28-5, 12-3) battled but ultimately lost to the Warriors (12-11, 8-7) with set scores of 14-25, 25-23, 19-25, 26-28 in their final regular-season road test.

A slow start plagued the Rangers in the opening set. East Central controlled the net and jumped out to an early 7-4 lead, closing the frame on a dominant 12-4 run to win 25-14.

Northwest battled back from an early 6-2 deficit in the second set, with key kills from Adalyn Callahan sparking a rally to tie the match at 8-8. In a tight back-and-forth battle that saw lead changes at 19 and 22, the Rangers eventually secured a 25-23 win to even the match at one set apiece.

The momentum failed to carry over, as ECCC roared to a 9-3 lead in the third set and never looked back, taking it 25-19.

Northwest responded with urgency in the fourth, building an 8-3 lead behind strong play from Aven Mathis, who tallied three blocks and three kills early. The Rangers held a commanding 23-18 lead and later served for the set at 26-25, looking to force a decisive fifth frame.

However, the Warriors mounted a stunning comeback on their sophomore night, scoring the final three points to win the set 28-26 and seal the upset.

Northwest Mississippi Community College will look to rebound as they return home to Howard Coliseum on Monday night to close out the regular season. The Rangers will host Northeast Mississippi Community College (10-22, 3-11) for their sophomore night celebration. The match is set for a 6:00 PM start and will be streamed live on nwccrangers.com/watch.

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