Photo: Ariana Woods had a team high 14 points for NWCC on Monday night on the way to a four-set win over Itawamba (Josh Bibbs/nwccrangers.com)
SENATOBIA, Miss. – The Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball team made history on Monday night, matching its program record with a 28th win of the season. The Rangers defeated Itawamba Community College 3-1 (25-21, 25-14, 17-25, 25-11) at Howard Coliseum, clinching a top-two finish in the conference standings.
The (28-4, 12-2) Rangers were tested early. After taking a 6-2 lead in the first set, Itawamba (15-13, 7-8) stormed back with a 7-1 run to pull ahead. The set remained tight until Northwest broke a 17-17 tie and closed on a 10-4 run to win 25-21.
Northwest carried that momentum into the second set, dominating 25-14. The set was punctuated by a five-point service run from freshman defensive specialist Reese McIntosh, who closed the set with an ace.
Momentum shifted drastically in the third set, as Itawamba stunned the Rangers with a 13-2 run to open the frame. Despite a late surge from Northwest, the hole was too deep, and ICC claimed the set 25-17.
The Rangers left no doubt in the fourth set. Tied 2-2, Northwest exploded for a massive 16-2 run, including a pair of aces from Jania Rose, to build an insurmountable 18-5 lead. The Rangers cruised to a 25-11 win to secure the match and their place in the record books.
“It shows that our character and our culture is coming through when we really need it most,” said McIntosh, a Southaven native. “A lot of teams get down and tired, but I feel like this can really build us and make us stronger as a team.”
A balanced attack and strong net play propelled Northwest. Chloe Fesperman led the offense with 11 kills, while Ariana Woods contributed 10 kills and five total blocks. Adalyn Callahan added six kills, moving her into fifth all-time in career kills for the program (285). Chloe Rodriguez managed the offense with 23 assists.
With the win, Northwest is now two games ahead of Pearl River Community College for second place in the conference. The Rangers will have a chance to set a new all-time program record for wins on Wednesday when they travel to Decatur to face East Central.
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.
