SENATOBIA - Although Northwest didn't get the clean sweep in Wednesday's home opener, the Lady Rangers did earn their first victory of the season in a 3-0 shutout against Rust College.

Northwest followed with a match against Millsaps College, which ended in a 3-1 loss and dropped the Lady Rangers' record to 1-5 on the season.

Next up for Northwest is a weekend trip to Chattanooga, Tenn., where the Lady Rangers will participate in the Chattanooga State Tournament. Bevill State and Chattanooga State are slated as Friday's opponents, while Saturday will see Northwest face Snead State and Wallace State-Hanceville.


Northwest 3, Rust College 0
(Set scores: 25-14, 25-20, 25-12)

Cristen Cleveland and Micah Swift posted nine kills apiece, as Northwest ran away with the third set to clinch the win against Rust College on Wednesday afternoon.

Both teams went back and forth for a while in the opening set, before the Lady Rangers turned a slim 12-11 lead into a 15-11 margin. From there, Northwest closed things out down the stretch, earning the 25-14 decision in the first set.

Northwest continued its momentum early into the second set, only for the Lady Bearcats to claw back and close the gap to 17-16. The two teams then battled down the stretch, until Northwest closed out the set by gaining the final four points in a row.

Rust College did come into the third set with some early fight, but with Kaley Rikard on serve, Northwest turned a 5-4 deficit into an 11-5 lead. The deficit grew to a 16-11 margin, before the Lady Rangers captured nine of the final 12 points and clinched the shutout.

In addition to Cleveland's kills, the sophomore from Hernando also posted 10 digs, trailing only Caroline Howard's total of 16 digs. Freshman Layla Dyer also finished with nine digs and 17 assists.


Millsaps College 3, Northwest 1
(Set scores: 25-16, 25-15, 22-25, 25-12)

A gritty third set victory helped prolong the nightcap against Millsaps College, but Northwest ultimately fell by a 3-1 final to the visiting Majors.

Millsaps jumped out to an early 7-2 advantage in the opening set and never looked back, building its lead to as many as 10 points. The Majors rolled over the momentum into the second set, taking a quick 5-0 lead on the Lady Rangers.

With Northwest trailing 12-3, the Lady Rangers fought back to close the gap to 18-12 with Emma Norman on serve. However, the Majors claimed seven of the final 10 points to clinch the second set, dropping Northwest to a 2-0 match deficit.

Determined to avoid the shutout, Northwest jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and fought off several attempts to tie from Millsaps. The Lady Rangers led 20-18 late in the set and held on to grab a 25-22 decision, forcing at least one more set.

Despite the setback, Millsaps rebounded to take the fourth set from Northwest, earning a 25-12 decision. 

Jacia Hayes led the Lady Rangers with nine kills, while Cleveland totaled 16 digs and seven kills. Kailey Gooch provided six kills and four blocks, with Dyer posting a team-high 19 assists. Read Full Article