HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - After a week off from competition, the Northwest Lady Rangers spent the weekend collecting a pair of victories on the road, defeating Champion Christian College by a pair of 2-0 finals on Saturday morning.
Although the matches were close and competitive, Northwest never dropped a set in the best-of-three twinbill, earning the season sweep against the Lady Tigers while improving the overall season record to 9-11.
Northwest will finally return home this weekend with a slew of matches at Howard Coliseum, returning to the friendly confines for the first time since September 8. The Lady Rangers are scheduled to face Frontier and MUW on Friday, October 7 at 4 P.M. and 8 P.M., while hosting Pensacola State on Saturday, Oct. 8 at noon. All matches will be streamed for free on Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch).
Northwest 2, Champion Christian College 0
(Set scores: 25-21, 25-23)
Freshman trio
Jacia Hayes,
Kaley Rikard and
Kennedy Smith led Northwest with a combined 18 kills in the Lady Rangers' first triumph against Champion Christian College.
Smith led the way with seven, while also adding eight digs and a pair of service aces, followed by six kills from Rikard and a team-best 15 digs. Hayes accounted for five kills and two blocks, along with two more blocks from
De'Aisha Browner.
Additionally,
Lia Ramos and
Hailey Stephens led the Lady Rangers with eight assists each, with Ramos also earning three digs and a block.
Northwest 2, Champion Christian College 0
(Set scores: 25-23, 25-23)
Much like her effort in the opening match, Smith once again stood out for Northwest in the finale, compiling a whopping 15 kills and seven digs.
Smith now ranks second on the team in total kills with 116, trailing only
Micah Swift's 143. Additionally, freshman
Kailey Gooch totaled seven kills, while
Caroline Howard posted a team-high 12 digs.
Ramos provided 20 assists in the win, while Rikard came away with 11 digs. Browner and Gooch finished with one block apiece, while Rikard and Smith were each credited with a service ace.
