T-Bird (VB) Starts Season with Win Over North Idaho

NMJC volleyball swept North Idaho College 25-10, 25-18, 26-24 in the first match of the season to move to 1-0. 

 The Thunderbirds jumped to a lead out the gate with an 11-2 advantage in Set 1. The T-Birds extended their lead with a block from Zaira Romero and Duda Tonella to make the score 19-5. A Leticia Neves block followed by a kill ended the first set in favor of the T-Birds 25-10.

Neves pushed the T-Birds in front 9-3 in Set 2 with another kill. The Cardinals caught fire going on a 10-4 run to even the score at 13-13. The T-Birds scored three straight points to regain the lead by a score of 19-16. NMJC outscored North Idaho 6-4 the rest of the way to win the second set 25-18.

The third set was a battle for the T-Birds with NMJC and North Idaho College knotted up at 11 apiece. The score remained tied at 15-15 as the teams eked later into the third. North Idaho pushed in front 18-15 over the next three points. 

Back-to-back Romero kills pulled the Thunderbirds within one, 20-19. NMJC regained the lead off Rebecca Rosculet and Andjela Sojic's successive kills that made it 22-21 T-Birds. NMJC took a 24-21 lead but gave up three straight points to tie the match up at 24 all. A quick set by Noemi Marinho made it match point 25-24 and a block by Sojic and Elif Akarsu sealed the three-set win.  

Outside hitter Andjela Sojic finished with a team-high 11 kills and added four blocks. Middle Elif Akarsu posted five blocks. Leticia Neves, Rebecca Rosculet, and Zaira Romero all finished the match with six kills. Rosculet also added three service aces.

Libero Zuzanna Zalewska led them team in digs with 13. Setter Noemi Marinho tallied 17 assists in the three-set win.

The Thunderbirds earn their first win of the season and will play Lee College Friday, Aug. 22 at 4:30 p.m. CDT in Midland, Texas.