FULTON - After dropping its last two conference matches, the Northwest volleyball team bounced back in a big way at Itawamba on Wednesday evening.
With extended first and third sets, the Lady Rangers managed to hold off the Lady Indians for a 3-0 victory, earning the regular season sweep against Itawamba. The victory moved Northwest to 22-8 on the season and set up a three-way tie for first place in the MACCC standings, joining ICC and Jones College at 6-2 in conference play.
Northwest opened up the match with a 7-4 advantage early in the opening set, but the Lady Indians rallied back and gained a 15-14 advantage midway through. Trailing 23-19 late in the set, the Lady Rangers pulled back and closed the gap to 23-22, sparking a timeout from ICC. From there, Northwest fought off two set points for the Lady Indians, eventually earning a 27-25 margin.
In the second set, the Lady Rangers jumped out to a 5-0 lead and turned the momentum into a 9-1 advantage. However, Itawamba began to close the gap late, turning a 17-7 deficit to a narrow 18-15 margin. Northwest collected itself after a timeout though, and pushed its lead back to 22-17 before taking the second set, 25-17.
With a 2-0 lead for the match, the Lady Rangers faced one of the most intense battles of the season in the third set. After several early ties, Itawamba broke free from an 8-8 deadlock and took an 11-9 lead. The Lady Indians led for most of the third set and once again had set point numerous times, only for Northwest to extend the set each time.
Finally, the Lady Rangers responded from being down 29-28 to capture the clincher in a 31-29 decision, earning the clean 3-0 sweep.
Layla Dyer led Northwest in three different categories, the highest being assists (24). The Lafayette, La. native also finished with a team-high 19 digs and three service aces, while
Rachel Stegall led the Lady Rangers with 11 kills.
Maddie Smith provided 11 digs and 10 kills in the winning effort, while
Anna Lott collected eight kills and a team-leading four blocks. Stegall also posted eight digs, as
Sailor Cole finished with three assists.
Northwest will begin its final homestand of the season on Monday, October 21, hosting Meridian for a 6 P.M. first serve. The Lady Rangers will also host Northeast in the home finale on Wednesday, October 23. Broadcast coverage for both matches can be found on Ranger TV.
