Box Score SENATOBIA - The start out of the gate was a little slow, but the #16 Northwest Mississippi Community College volleyball team added another win to the record and secured a spot in the Region 23 Championship, taking down Jones College (24-8, 7-3) in straight sets 25-23, 25-13-25-20, improving to 38-0 in the process and setting up a battle with #24 Pearl River Community College (26-6, 8-2) on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

"We wanted it really back, and when we play together as a team, like we did right there, where everyone is on, there aren't a lot of teams that can get past that," freshman outside hitter Sofia Gonzalez said. 

The opening set was a lot more nerve-racking than the home fans were hoping for, with Jones jumping out in front early on a three-point service run from Myah Farve and another short burst from Jailly Vance that put them in front 7-3 after just 10 points. The lead would stay in the three- to four-point range for most of the set as both teams traded short runs, but eventually, the Rangers were able to even the score at 17 on a run from Gonzalez, taking the lead for the first time two rotations later when Valerie Hurdle put them up 20-19. 

Jones evened the set at 22 and at 23, but a late rash of errors from the Bobcats, who didn't make their first miscue until 22 points into the set, would hurt, with mistakes from Izzi Barnes and Jensi Doise leading to the final two points and Northwest picking up the 25-23 win in comeback fashion. 

Set two was a different story. 

Reese McIntosh established the early lead with an ace that made it a 3-0 advantage for the Rangers out of the gate, and the lead would never see the Bobcats get a share. They were able to tie the set twice at five, but Dallas White put together a six-point run on the way to an 11-5 lead, highlighted by a pair of Gonzalez kills and one from Kylee Garcia. Jones steadied the ship a bit, but Callahan and McIntosh closed the door, leading a second run, this time a 12-4 run to close out the set in dominant fashion with a 25-13 victory. 

Down 2-0, the Bobcats came out with another dose of energy on the way to a 3-0 start of their own, but Northwest reeled them back in, tying the set at six on a Gonzalez ace, and that run would put the Rangers in front at 9-6. Jones stayed right in the back pocket of the Rangers this time, never letting the lead grow to more than three through the meat of the set, as they always seemed to have an answer back, but the Rangers would kick it into another gear late, with three kills from Gonzalez slamming the door shut on a 25-20 win and the 34th sweep of the season by the Northwest women. 

The Rangers were paced through the night by Gonzalez, who finished with a team-high 18 kills while hitting .429, adding in a pair of aces to boot on the way to 20 of the team's 56 total points.

"The sets got faster, and I just kept swinging," she said. "The line was open the entire time, so I kept swinging there unless it was a slow set and once the middle was late, you just have to swing, and that's what I did those last three points."

Woods also finished in double figures with 11 kills, and Garcia continued to be a rock at the end of the season with eight kills and just one error. Hurdle picked up another four, and Chloe Rodriguez and Talley Taylor finished with three and two, respectively. 

Garcia was big for the Rangers in the match, particularly in the second and third sets, only making one error, and it was another example of the depth the Rangers provide. 

"Recently, she has been doing really well," Gonzalez said. "Even in practice, she's been talking about how she has been swinging harder than she has ever swung before, and she can hit those shots that we need in tight moments, and even when we are out of system, she can put the ball down. When we can't get it on the pin or the middle is stuck, she is always open on the right side, and it's really helpful."

Rodriguez added another 25 assists to pace the team, with White finishing with 14 more. 

On the back line, the Rangers were strong again, picking up 45 digs in the match, led by 13 from Jania Rose, who was the only player in double figures. Callahan picked up nine, and McIntosh added eight more. 

As a team, the Rangers finished with seven aces and had four blocks, led by Rodriguez, who finished with 1 solo and one assist. The team also finished with a .232 hitting percentage and only allowed one ace to the Bobcats all night. 

The win advances them to the Region 23 Championship game on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. against #24 Pearl River at Howard Coliseum. The winner of the match will earn the right to face the winner of the Alabama conference championship on November 8th, with a guaranteed spot in the NJCAA National Tournament field on the line in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

"We need to come out the same way we did against Jones today," Gonzalez said. "Just playing together and staying strong, even in those moments they get a run, it's just next ball. If you get blocked, it's ok because you are going to get set again, so just swing faster, or swing harder, or different. We just need to play all as a unit."

Follow along for more news on Northwest volleyball at nwccrangers.com or by checking out Ranger social media accounts.